Tulsa firefighters worked to distribute smoke detectors designed to aid the deaf or hard of hearing because an audible fire alarm is not always enough to alert tenants of a fire.
This program was sparked by memories of a fatal house fire, in which a 5-year-old died due to a lack of accessibility for their disability to prepare them for the fire.
The Tulsa Fire Department determined 70 deaf or hard of hearing students at Tulsa Public Schools who need smoke detectors that do more than just sound an alarm.
“We always work with the kids and try to teach them," Sarah Brewer, deaf education teacher for TPS, said. "If you see fire, if you smell smoke this is what you do. But if they are sleeping or doing something else, they don’t know. So, we have to bring that accessibility to them.”
Tulsa firefighters worked with the Oklahoma State Firefighters Association to fill that gap and provide alternate smoke detectors, designed to aid the deaf or hard of hearing.
“These alarms are going to light up a strobe light," Ricky Powell, chief of community risk reduction, said.
“I can't hear it and so those don’t work for me," Heidy Avila-Sorto, a 4th-grade student, signed. "So, when it flashes that helps me.”
They also brought smoke detectors that vibrate to alert a fire.
“You can attach them to the bed so if the alarm is going off it shakes the bed and wakes the child up," Jeremiah Mefford, Lieutenant for Tulsa Fire Department, said.
The vibrating devices are especially critical at night.
“They remove all of their devices that assist with hearing, so they go to bed deaf," Powell said. “[They are] crucially important that they receive notification by means other than sound.”
TFD distributed specialized fire alarms to 26 students at Patrick Henry Elementary.
“It's important to get these fire alarms. It's going to help us," Leiland Pickering, a 5th-grade student, signed.
Mefford was witness to a tragic and preventable fatality at a Tulsa house fire, years ago.
A 5-year-old died due to a lack of accessibility for their disability.
“It has always stuck and resonated with me," Mefford said.
Since then, Mefford has made it his mission to prevent a future incident by giving those with disabilities the same opportunity to respond to a fire.
TFD’s smoke detector programs are completely donation driven. Each smoke detector costs close to $50.
The firefighters are asking for donations to replenish the supply and make Tulsa homes safer for everyone.