VIDEO: Milwaukee residents who are deaf or hard of hearing can now receive a special device that would alert them in a fire. It is thanks to the donation of 100 LIFETONE HL Bedside Fire Alarm units from the Professional Firefighters of Wisconsin Charitable Foundation.
On Wednesday, April 17, the Milwaukee Fire Department introduced a bedside fire alarm. Officials say the units are not independent smoke alarms. The HLAC151 works in conjunction with an existing smoke alarm. It can detect a smoke alarm several rooms away.
The alarm delivers emergency alerts and other instructions with combinations of audible (low-pitched tones, plus voiced announcements), visual, and tactile stimuli.
"We need better systems, but they're not cheap. They're quiet expensive and that's a huge barrier for us," said Jeffrey Bronks from the Wisconsin Emergency Management for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.