Studies prove vocal smoke detectors more effective than traditional beeping alarms in waking children

Philadelphia, PA – March 22, 2006 – The KidSmart Vocal Smoke Detector is the first to let parents record their own voice to wake their kids. In 2000, over 40,000 children under age 14 were seriously injured and another 1,200 died in home fires. Nearly 55% of children ages 5 and under who die from home fires are asleep at the time.

In combination with the University of Georgia and Victoria University in Australia, SignalOne Safety worked with Bresslergroup to develop and prove the effectiveness of Vocal Smoke Detectors (VSD). The Victoria University study found that a recorded familiar / parental voice woke 100% of children studied versus only 57% who woke to the traditional temporal tone, or beeping alarm.

Bresslergroup, a full service product development firm in Philadelphia, was brought onto the project to help SingalOne design and engineer this important new product. The product needed to call attention to differentiating features, be easy to use and cost effective. The resulting design is the first smoke alarm on the market to feature a voice recorded alarm.

The VSD parental voice is not only familiar it is instructive. Fire prevention experts recommend that the recorded message be tied to family fire drill procedures to tell children what's happening and remind them what they're supposed to do. “Sally, Wake up! There’s a fire in the house; GET OUT OF BED – do like we practiced and climb out the window. We’ll meet you outside.” Drilling helps ensure effective evacuation in the event of a fire, so the product features a large central button which is ringed by a fully lit light pipe when the device is activated.

The soft forms of the device accentuate the primary feature -- the directional speaker housing -- while wrapping the technology in a kid friendly package. The speaker grill feature is reminiscent of quality audio equipment. The product is a neutral white. The color works in any room and the soft forms and low profile meld effectively into the ceiling. The design language fits children’s room environments yet still looks professional / trustworthy.

The interface makes it easy for parents to record the voice alarm message through a combination of written directions as well as step-by-step verbal recorded prompts. The device fits in anyone’s palm for easy installation and battery changing. Other features include an adjustable ceiling mount ring which allows the speaker to be pointed directly at the child's bed from anywhere in the room -- to maximize decibel level "at the pillow."

The Kidsmart VSD is SignalOne Safety’s first product and has achieved mass distribution through major retail channels. Publicity and acclaim for the product has been widespread including coverage on most all major networks and top media market affiliates including NBC Nightly News and Good Morning America.

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