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Smoke Alarm Warning


Why a Growing Number of Fire Fighters are Absolutely
Convinced Your Ionization Smoke Alarms May Not Save You

Fire officials have a


Special Duty of Care
to publicly denounce
ionization so called
smoke alarms.
Chief Marc McGinn
Fire Professional 32 years
Albany Fire Chief 17 years

California, U.S.A.
01 July 2010
(page 13)

Chief Marc McGinn

David Isaac

CSIRO Test Data


Expose Ionization
Smoke Alarm Defects
(page 4)

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x x x x x x x x x x x x x The World Fire Safety Foundation thanks
x x x x x x x x x x x x x Valerie Rivett & Natalie Dale for supporting
x x x x x x x x x x x x x this life-saving message and advocating for
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zzzzzzzzzzzzz
Averyanas Law
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(see pages 15-20)
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Valerie Rivett

Averyana, Natalie, Gia

Copyright World Fire Safety Foundation - Nov 2014

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Smoke Alarm Warning

Part 1: For Consumers

S U M M A R Y & C O N T E N T S
Photoelectric Smoke Alarms Save More Lives
S afe r For You Safer For Fire Fighter sTM
page

Ionization

Photoelectric

Failure to Activate

Significant

Insignificant

False Alarms and


Disconnections

Significant

Insignificant

Recommended
by Fire Fighters

12

No

Yes

Safer for
Fire Fighters TM

No

Yes

Disposal

Radioactive

Not Radioactive

Affordable

Affordable

Price
Located

Most Homes

PSASMLGraphicV1.2.jpg
Copyright World Fire Safety Foundation - Nov 2014

Commercial
Buildings

Using better (photoelectric)


smoke alarms will drastically
reduce loss of life among
citizens and fire fighters.

Harold Schaitberger
General President, IAFF
Washington DC, USA | Oct 2008

FRNSW does NOT support the


fitting and installation of ionization
alarms. We ONLY recommend
photoelectric alarms.

www.SmokeAlarmWarning.org/wfsf

Contents

Page

Part 1: For Consumers


WFSF Message: You Can Help Save Lives

60 Minutes Special Investigation

Why Wont the ABCB Change the Code?

Good Morning Americas Investigation

Greg Mullins

AFSM

Commissioner FRNSW, President


AFAC, NSW, Australia | Oct 2014
(pages 3, 11 & 12)

Ionization Technology Concerns


1. Failure to Activate

2. High False Alarm & Disconnection Rate

3. Places Fire Fighters at Risk

4. Environmental/Disposal Problem

5. Affordability | Consumer Groups

6. The Dual Alarm & Ion/Photo Combo Myth

7. Sensor Sensitivity Manipulation

How You Can Help Save Lives

10

If fire officials had really


understood the difference
between the two technologies,
like theyre starting to learn now,
theres a good chance our kids
would be alive today.

Part 2: For Fire Fighters


11

Dean & Andrea Dennis

IAFF Resolution | AFAC Position

12

Albanys Stand | A Special Duty of Care

13

Messages for Fire Fighters | Litigation | More

14

Dean Dennis, Fathers For Fire Safety,


Cincinnati, Ohio, USA | June, 2008
Note: Andrea died in an off-campus fire
with four other students at Ohio
State University in April 2003.

A Personal Message to Fire Fighters

Averyanas Law

15-20

(pages 7 & 14)

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Smoke Al arm W arni ng

P ar t 1: F o r C o n s u m e r s

How to 1. Very Busy: Read pages 1 - 4 | Less than 4 minutes


Use this 2. Busy: Read pages 1 - 10 | Approx. 14 minutes
Report 3. Fire Fighters: Read entire report | Approx. 21 minutes

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David Isaac, Australias leading fire safety expert - warning
about ionization alarms since 2006 www.TheWFSF.org/sa
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A third of all the deaths in the


United States could be prevented
by switching to photoelectric.

WFSF Message: You Can Help Save Lives


fter decades of misinformation, the smoke alarm industry
continues to mislead the public and fire fighters. The industry
claims ionization alarms are safe. However, the standards
upon which the industry is built are flawed.

David Isaac is Australias leading fire safety expert and a Standards


Australia committee member. For years, hes been warning that the
Australian (AS3786-1993) and U.S. (UL217) smoke alarm standards
are flawed and that most people have the wrong type of smoke
alarm in their home. In the 60 Minutes special investigation into
Australias worst ever house fire, Mr. Isaac said,
That house had ionization alarms. But theyd been turned off
because they kept going off when they werent supposed to.
Photoelectric smoke alarms dont have the same problem.
Saving Lives
60 Minutes special investigation (page 4) could be the catalyst for
ending decades of needless injuries and deaths. After watching it and
replacing your smoke alarms, please help save lives by spreading this
message to your family and friends - to everyone you know (page 10).
Thank you.

(page 6)

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Fire Fighters have not been told the
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truth . . . discover the facts about
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ionization alarms for yourself.
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Peter Cannon
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President, Volunteer Fire Fighters
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Association, NSW, Australia
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from the WFSFs Home Page

The World Fire Safety Foundation


Adrian Butler & Karl Westwell
Co-Founders, NSW, Australia | 23 Nov 2014

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June 2012
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The photoelectric alarms; the tests are
showing they react faster, particularly
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in smoldering fires which are the
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main type of fire you get in a home.
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Greg Mullins AFSM | President, AFAC
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Commissioner, Fire & Rescue NSW - One
of the Worlds Largest Urban Fire Brigades
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Deputy Chief Jay Fleming


Boston Fire Department MA, U.S.A.
Committee Member for United States
Smoke Alarm Standard: UL217

SPECIAL INVESTIGATION
...CSIRO test evidence shows how bad
these things are ... if photoelectric smoke
alarms were mandated ... the death toll
from residential fires would drop.

Oct 2014

Well the Board is not satisfied at


this stage that it needs to make
any further changes to the Code.

David Isaac | Fire Safety Expert

Neil Savery | General Manager, ABCB

Member, Standard Australias Smoke


Alarm Committee FP002

Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB)


with 60 Minutes Reporter, Karl Stefanovic

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Smoke Al arm W arni ng

P ar t 1: F o r C o n s u m e r s

Trailer | 31 seconds
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Why the smoke alarm in
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your home may not save you.

The Alarming Truth


Australia | 19 October 2014
New Zealand | 10 November 2014

Part
One | 9 Minutes
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Part Two | 11 Minutes


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Like most of us, I thought the fire alarms fitted in my home


would protect my family, but what Ive just seen is shocking.
What will it take for the Board (ABCB) to make that decision to change lives?
Karl Stefanovic, Reporter | 60 Minutes Australia
Grab yourself the photoelectric alarms, bring
them back to your home, unscrew the ionization
ones, put the photoelectric ones on the ceiling.
It can save your familys life.
Karl Stefanovic, 60 Minutes Reporter

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David Isaac Interview | 2 Minutes
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David Isaac | Australias Leading Fire Safety Expert, over 40 years
electrical engineering experience, Standards Australia committee
member FP002, FPAA technical advisory committee member TAC/2

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Karl Stefanovic Interview | 2 Minutes
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Karl Stefanovic | Australian Gold Logie-Winning television
presenter, co-host, Nine Networks Today breakfast
program, 60 Minutes reporter

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Smoke Al arm W arni ng

P ar t 1: F o r C o n s u m e r s

W h y Wo n t t h e A B C B C h a n g e t h e C o d e?
In 2007 - 2008 Standards Australia made the needed revisions to
Australia's flawed smoke alarm standard. However, why is the Australian
Building Codes Board (ABCB) continuing to block the adoption of the
revised standard into the Building Code of Australia (BCA - the Code)?

Criminal Act of Negligence?

In February 2007, the World Fire Safety Foundation sent hard copies of its
C.A.N. Report by registered mail to 11 ABCB senior staff and all 15 Board
Members. Their names and positions are on page 14 of the report.
The report supported Standard Australia's second attempt to have the ABCB
adopt Australias amended smoke alarm standard (AS3786-1993) into the
Building Code of Australia (BCA). The report provided compelling evidence that
ionization alarms are unsafe. It also warned of legal implications for the ABCBs
ongoing failure to adopt Standards Australias critical amendment into the BCA.

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T he C.A.N. R eport
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www.TheWFSF.org/can
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In March 2007, despite The CAN Report and Standard Australia's second Preliminary Impact Assessment
providing the ABCB with overwhelming scientific evidence and legal precedents, the ABCB wrote to the World
Fire Safety Foundation (see below) stating the problem was not clear to the Board. Consider the following:
FA C T: Australian Government (CSIRO) test data since 1993 show ionization alarms fail to activate in Australian
Standards testing until more than three times the maximum safe limit set for photoelectric alarms.

FA C T: Legislation to mandate photoelectric smoke alarms has been enacted in Australias Northern Territory and
the U.S. states of Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont and numerous cities and municipalities.

FA C T: The June 2006, official position of all Australian and New Zealand Fire Brigades states, That all
residential accommodation be fitted with photoelectric smoke alarms . . . Ionization smoke alarms may
not operate in time to alert occupants early enough to escape from smoldering fires. (emphasis added)

FA C T: Standards Australia has revised the Australian Smoke Alarm Standard (AS3786-1993). Despite repeated
attempts, the ABCB has refused to adopt it into the Building Code of Australia.

FA C T: Since the 1996 edition of the BCA, photoelectric detectors have been mandated in all Australian hospitals.
FA C T: U.S. Federal court judges declared an ionization smoke alarm to be "defectively designed" and its
failure to be a legal cause of deaths (Sheila Hackert v First Alert Inc. March 2008).

The ABCBs Double Standard


In 2004, the ABCB approved changes to the Building Code of Australia (BCA - the Code), the effect of which is to
mandate photoelectric smoke detectors in new commercial buildings. Legislation has been enacted to mandate
photoelectric alarms in several U.S. states and municipalities and Australias Northern Territory. However, the ABCB
has refused to change the Code to mandate photoelectric smoke alarms in Australian and New Zealand homes.
It is not clear to the Board from the
evidence available that ionization
detectors do not achieve the level of
performance required for warning
occupants in the event of a fire.

Graham Huxley

Extract from ABCBs Chairman of the


Board, Mr Graham Huxleys letter to the
WFSF after sending C.A.N. report to all
ABCB Board members | 09 March 2007

Well the Board is not satisfied..


at this stage that it needs..
to make any further..
changes to the Code.
ABCBs General Manager, Mr Neil
Saverys response to 60 Minutes
question about changing the Code
October 2014
(see page 3)

Neil Savery

The ABCBs Refusal to Change the Code is Putting Lives at Risk


P lease Help Spr e ad Thi s M essage . . . Se e Pa g e 1 0

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Smoke Al arm W arni ng

P ar t 1: F o r C o n s u m e r s

A Gr owing N um ber o f F i r e F i g h t e r s a r e Ab s o l u t e l y
C o n v i n c e d I o n i z a t i o n A l a r m s Wi l l N o t G o O f f i n Ti m e .

I N V E S T I G AT E S Will Your Smoke Detector Respond Fast Enough?


29 May 2014

In May 2014, the North Eastern Ohio Fire Prevention Association


(NEOFPA) conducted full-scale tests to demonstrate the
performance differences between ionization, photoelectric and
combination smoke alarms. The story aired across the USA on
the ABCs Good Morning America Investigates.

1. NEOFPA President
Oversees Testing

NEOFPA President
John Desmarteau (left)
with GMAs Gio Benitez

2. Photoelectric Alarms Activate Before


Combination Ionization/Photoelectric Alarms
Ionization Alarms Did Not Activate

Photoelectric 1: 12 minutes
Photoelectric 2: 13 minutes

Combination 1: 22 minutes
Combination 2: 49 minutes

Ionization 1: Did Not Activate


Ionization 2: Did Not Activate

3. Ionization Alarms Failed


Test Aborted at 70 Minutes

BREAKING NEWS Cleveland, Ohio, USA 10 Nov 2014

The Alarming Truth About Smoke Detectors


Fire Fighters Say Lives at Risk
Ron Regan

David Isaac

Chief Fleming

Chief Investigative
Reporter

Australias Leading
Fire Safety Expert

Boston Fire
Department

A growing number of fire fighters


are absolutely convinced ionization
alarms will not go off in time.

The ionization detector will typically


activate too late in a fire to allow
someone to escape.

See the Three Part Series:

Part 1

A third of all the deaths in the


United States could be prevented
by switching to photoelectric.

Part 2

Part 3

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Smoke Al arm W arni ng

P ar t 1: F o r C o n s u m e r s

Ionization Technology Concerns


1. Failure to Activate

3. Places Fire Fighters at Risk

Ionization alarms inability to safely detect fire in


the early smoldering stage was first exposed in the
1976 Smoke Detector Fraud Report. See The
History of Why America is Burning on page 14.

When fire fighters are called out to homes with fires


resulting from smoke alarm activations, the type of smoke
alarm used is critical for public and fire fighter safety. If the
alarm is activated by a fire in the flaming stage, the difference
between ionization and photoelectric alarms is only a matter of
a difference of seconds - if it has not been disconnected and if
it is in the room of fire origin.
However, most fatal fires have a long smoldering phase.
Photoelectric alarms can activate an hour or more before
ionization alarms in smoldering fires. When this happens, in
many cases consumers can safely put the fire out without any
risk to themselves or our fire fighters.

CSIRO Test Data


The Australian governments Commonwealth
Scientific and Industrial Research Organization
(CSIRO) holds scientific test data which show that
ionization alarms do not activate in Australian
Standards testing until more than three times the
limit set for photoelectric alarms.

L egal Precedents
In The Law and You radio
interview, world experts discuss the
Confidentiality Order preventing
disclosure of the level of smoke
ionization alarms activate under
CSIRO testing (see page 14).

2. High False Alarm & Disconnection Rate


People often say, My smoke alarm goes off
when Im cooking toast - it must be working fine.
Ionization alarms are sub-micron particle detectors.
They detect hot, invisible particles from cooking or
an open flame. They do not detect visible smoke,
even though they may appear to. Slow smoldering
fires emit cool, visible smoke particles, but usually
not enough of the hot invisible
particles to activate ionization
alarms. They will almost
always remain silent during
the smoldering stage of a fire until the fire bursts into flame,
after which it is often too late
to safely escape (see page 11).
Research shows ionization alarms are over five
times more likely to give a false alarm than
photoelectrics. False/nuisance alarms lull people
into a false sense of security. Many think because
their ionization alarms are sensitive to cooking, they
will give an an early warning in the event of a real
fire. This is not the case when a fire starts with an
extended smoldering phase while you are sleeping.
Disconnection Rate
Because of the inherent false alarm problem
with ionization technology, approximately 25% of
ionization alarms are disconnected within the first
two years. The disconnection rate for photoelectrics
is negligible. Find out more here.

Safer For Fire Fighters TM


When firefighters are called out
to a fire, if photoelectric alarms are
installed, everyone should have
already exited the home. When
fires have not reached the flaming
stage, the risk to fire fighters is
dramatically reduced.
Install photoelectric alarms.
Help make your family and our fire
fighters safer! Find out more, read
Fathers For Fire Safetys report:

Safer For
Fire Fighter s TM

Are Ionization Smoke Alarms


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Putting Fire Fighter Lives at Risk?
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www.Scribd.com/doc/245353416
(also on page 14)

4. Environmental/Disposal Problem
All ionization alarms contain radioactive material.

Radiation Warning Label

Radioactive Materials: Disposal Problem


. . . Where the smoke alarm contains a radioactive source,
information about the source and instructions on how to
return the smoke alarm to the supplier or to the
Department of Health. Warning shall also be given that
alternative disposal is not permitted.
Australian Smoke Alarm Standard AS3786-1993: Page 16, Clause 4.2(j)

Photoelectric alarms do not contain radioactive material.

Myths
ed
Explain
see page 5

www.TheWFSF.org/radiation

M Y T H My alarms pass the U.S./Australian Standard, surely they must be OK?

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P ar t 1: F o r C o n s u m e r s

5. Affordability
Combination photoelectric/ionization alarms cost more
than stand-alone photoelectric alarms. Consumers with
limited budgets may not be able to afford to protect as
many rooms in their home with combination alarms as
with stand-alone, photoelectric alarms.
Consumer Groups Speak Out
Cost is one of several reasons that the IAFF, AFAC and
others do not recommend combination ion/photo alarms
(page 12). Australian, U.S. and New Zealand consumer
organizations have discovered the defects with ionization
alarms and recommend photoelectric smoke alarms.

New Zealand
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The ionization models . . . were hopeless


for smouldering fires . . . That failing is
potentially fatal.
Consumer N.Z. scientific test results, May 2006

... its really important that you have


Australia
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Chris Barnes, Choice Australia, March 2010

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People are dying all the time because


these (ionization) smoke detectors are
inadequate.
Joan Claybrook CEO, Public Citizen, Feb 2008

6. The Dual Alarm & Ionization/Photoelectric Combination Myth:


Since the mid-1970s, fire authorities have almost
exclusively promoted ionization alarms. In December
2005, the Chief of Vermonts Barre City Fire Department
lost his niece and her four children in a home fitted with
hard-wired, working ionization alarms. The fire fighters
wanted to know why theyd failed to activate.
They investigated and the truth that had been
buried since the IAFCs 1980 Residential Smoke Alarm
Report (page 11) began to re-emerge. In 2009, Vermont
became the first state in the USA to pass legislation
mandating photoelectric-only smoke alarms.
Fire Fighters Lives At Risk
How could the smoke alarm industry hide the lifethreatening defects when fire fighters were beginning to
discover their own lives were at risk? By adding the
flawed (ionization) technology with the effective
(photoelectric) technology, they hoped no-one would
know. Thats why their claim, There are two types of fire
so you need two type of smoke alarms is so insidious.
It appears to make sense - but is this valid or a myth?
Failure to Warn
Since 1980, manufacturers have failed to warn
about ionization alarms. However, since mid-2006, after
26 years of failing to warn, they now claim we need
ionization and photoelectric alarms. Is it possible their
recommendation for combination alarms or having one
of each is a transition away from ionization alarms?

Why are the Public, Fire Fighters and Fire


Industry Personnel STILL Not Being Told
the Truth about Smoke Alarms?
E xpose d:
1. Smoke alarms have
reduced fire deaths
by 50%.
2. Any smoke alarm is
better than no smoke
alarm.
3. There are 3 causes
of fire: men, women
and children.

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Its Time to Tell the Public
and
Fire Fighters the Truth
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www.Scribd.com/doc/44342556

Stages of Fire - Not Types of Fire


Here is what they are not telling you. In most fatal fires,
there are two stages, smoldering and flaming. You must
detect fire in the early, smoldering stage, before the
flaming stage, when it is too late to safely escape.

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University of Cincinnati Smoke Detector Seminar
College of Engineering & Applied Sciences, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.A. | 28 June, 2010
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Is it possible that the
I think what we need to tell..
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recommendation for.
people is pretty simple...
dual
or
for
both
is
Do
you
want to live or die?..
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maybe a.compromise
And if you want to live,..
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to transition.away
and you want to get..
from ionization
out in time, then buy a..
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detectors?
photoelectric detector.
Captain Clayton L. James
William (BJ) Jetter PhD, MIFireE, CFO
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Newport Fire Department
OFE, CHSIII, Fire Chief, Sycamore
Kentucky, USA
EMS & Fire Department, Ohio, USA
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Chief B.J. Jetter
Capt. Clayton James
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www.TheWFSF.org/uc9
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P ar t 1: F o r C o n s u m e r s

7. Sensor Sensitivity Manipulation (SSM)


The Global Push for Photoelectric Alarms
A group of fire protection authorities across the world, including Bostons
Deputy Fire Chief Joseph Fleming and New Zealands Adrian Butler, are
leading the push towards requiring photoelectric smoke alarms in all dwellings.
Executive Summary: Page X, para 1

The Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), one of Americas


oldest technical institutes, is located in Worcester,
Massachussetts. The Fire Protection Association of Australia
(FPAA) is Australias major technical and educational fire
safety organization.
In 2009, the WPI produced a report for the FPAA to aid fire
protection officials around the world in drafting smoke alarm
legislation.
The following quotes are extracts from the report:
Photoelectric Alarms More Effective
Studies have shown that photoelectric units are more
effective at detecting the types of fires that are most likely to
be fatal in homes: smoldering fires . . . The only case in which
the ionization alarm responded first was when the alarm was
in the room of ignition of a flaming fire. Even then, the
photoelectric alarm still provided the occupants with enough
time to escape safely.
!

You Can Not Hide Ionization


Alarms Inherent Defects by Combining
them with Photoelectric Alarms

Executive Summary: Page X, para 2

Combination Smoke Alarms


However, combination units also have their drawbacks.
Detectors can be combined using either an AND gate or an
OR gate (Ian Thomas Interview, Appendix L). An OR gate
will sound an alarm if the unit receives a signal from either
one of the detectors. This means that the unit will sound at
the earliest possible time, but also that the unit is susceptible
to the most nuisance alarms due to the cumulative
weaknesses of each detector. A unit designed with an
AND gate will not sound until it receives a signal from
both detectors.
Combination Smoke Alarms: Page 36, clause 4.1.3, para 3

Conclusion
To provide earliest warning for all fires regardless of type,
combination detectors (of the OR gate principle) are, ideally
speaking, most effective. This assumes that they are fully
operational, and do not have reduced or otherwise altered
sensitivities (Ed Comeau Interview, Appendix A). It must also
be noted that, due to the frequency of nuisance alarms from
current ionization technologies, combination detectors are
likely to be disabled by a consumer, rendering them useless
to warn occupants of any fire.
!

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Worcester Polytechnics
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May, 2009 Report for FPAA
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www.TheWFSF.org/wpi

Myths
ed
Explain
see page 12

Conclusion: Page 35, clause 4.1.8, para 2

MYTH

Sensor Sensitivity Manipulation (SSM)


describes manipulating ionization sensor
settings in combination ionization/photoelectric
alarms to reducing nuisance alarming.
In the above CPSC* chart, unwanted
activations are shown from two leading
manufacturers (for legal reasons, the CPSC
protects manufacturer identities by naming
them A & B). It should be observed that
manufacturer A had 115 of the total 127
unwanted activations.
*Smoke Alarms - Pilot Study of

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The WFSF thanks Dean Dennis
from Fathers For Fire Safety
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Dean Dennis
for his research material

Nuisance Alarms Associated


with Cooking CPSC, 03/2010

But we dont have an official position on smoke alarms.

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P ar t 1: F o r C o n s u m e r s

Smoke Al arm W arni ng

How You Can Help Save Lives:


Since starting the campaign in 2000, there have been hundreds
of media reports warning about problems with ionization alarms.
Tragically, almost all of them get watered down.
60 Minutes Alarming Truth expos is the best ever produced.
It focuses on the crux of the problem: flawed smoke alarm
standards. Make sure everyone sees this amazing story.
Spreading this message will save lives. Please help.
Thank you.
The World Fire Safety Foundation
Adrian Butler Chairman, Co-Founder, Former Fire Fighter
Karl Westwell Co-Founder, Director of Strategy & Research

World Fire Safety Foundation Co-Founders


Adrian Butler (left) and Karl Westwell with Chief Marc
McGinn, April 2011 | Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

1. Install Photoelectric Alarms


We recommend installing photoelectric-only alarms
(not combination ionization/photoelectric) in all bedrooms,
outside bedrooms in hallways and in all exit paths.

2. Like Us on FaceBook
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3. Sign the Change.org Petition
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4. Your Custom Document & Web Page


Weve designed this report so you can send it as is, or
have a custom version with your personal, company
or business name, and/or logo, together with a custom
page on The World Fire Safety Foundations website:
www.SmokeAlarmWarning.org/supporters.html

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10 of 20

Smoke Al arm W arni ng

P ar t 2: F o r F i r e F i g h t e r s

A Personal Message to Fire Fighters


Adrian Butler, Chairman WFSF, former full-time fire fighter | 23 Nov 2014

Sept 1980: IAFC Report


he International Association of
Fire Chiefs (IAFC) Residential
Smoke Alarm Report warned,
lives may be in danger and that the
IAFC could take no other course but
to recommend the installation of
photoelectric smoke detectors.
Tragically, the IAFCs warning went
unheeded for 26 years - until . . .
In 1997, Karl Westwell and I were
running a franchise throughout Australia
and New Zealand called Maximum Fire
& Safety. We sold thousands of
ionization alarms. Everything was going
well until customers complained their
alarms would go off when cooking yet
remain silent during an actual fire. We
investigated. What we discovered was
almost impossible to believe.

member of the committee that writes


Australias smoke alarm standard.

Jan 2000: Silent Alarms


Silent Alarms is an award-winning
documentary that aired across Canada
in January 2000. When we watched it,
we were horrified. It showed the
ionization alarms wed been selling for
years failing in scientific tests. We knew
we had to get everyone to see it.
However, Canadian T.V. had been
threatened with litigation and would not
let us distribute the film.
Everyone kept saying there was
nothing wrong with ionization alarms.
No one believed us, especially the fire
service, which said ionization alarms
pass the U.S. and Australian standard
so they must be OK.
But we knew they were not OK. The
more research we did, the more
convinced we became. Ionization
alarms go off when cooking or with a
naked flame, but they remain silent
during the early, smoldering stage of a
fire - when you need them most.
World Fire Safety Foundation
Everyone was convinced their
smoke alarms functioned as intended after all, if there was a problem, fire

Feb 2006: Flawed Standards


The Australian and U.S. smoke
alarm standards have been proven to
be flawed. Underwriters Laboratories
(UL) has been sued for alleged
fraudulent testing of ionization alarms.
In 2006, Standards Australia discovered
that its smoke alarm standard is also
flawed. Examine our in-depth report:
Can Australian and U.S. Smoke Alarm
standards be Trusted?

departments would have told them. So


in mid-2000, we set up the World Fire
Safety Foundation to help get the
message about the defects with
ionization alarms to the public and
especially to our fire fighters.
We did not ask for any funding. The
information against ionization alarms
was so compelling we were sure within
18-24 months the message would be
out and wed be able to close down the
Foundation. Our mission statement
became the name of our film . . .
Oct 2004: Stop The Children Burning
Because we couldnt distribute Silent
Alarms, we decided to make our own
documentary. Stop The Children
Burning was released in Australia in
October 2004. Sections of it were
included in a national Australian T.V.
program warning about ionization
alarms.
The TV station brought in a fire
safety expert, Mr David Isaac, to give an
industry perspective on the
Foundations seemingly outlandish
allegations. However, he concurred with
us. We soon discovered he was a

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Adrian Butler, WFSF Co-Founder at New Zealand
Fire Service Basic Fire Fighter Graduation
Auckland, New Zealand | April 1978

The WFSFs Mission Statement


Stop The Children Burning
is the name of our documentary

Fire Fighters Oath


If youre an Australian or New
Zealand fire fighter, please check out
the official position of the Australasian
Fire & Emergency Service Authorities
Council (AFAC). AFAC is the peak
representative body of all Australian and
New Zealand Fire Brigades. AFAC only
recommends photoelectric alarms.
If you are a U.S. or Canadian fire
fighter, check out the next two pages.
See how government agencies and
manufacturers are failing in their
Special Duty of Care to warn the public
about ionization alarms known defects.
You took an oath to protect the
public. Recommending ionization
alarms is not just putting the publics
lives at risk, but also your own.

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Implementation of AFACs
2006 Smoke Alarm Position
FRNSW does NOT support
the fitting and installation of
i o n i s a t i o n a l a r m s . We O N LY
recommend photoelectric alarms.
FRNSW Commissioner Mullins AFSM
President, AFAC | October 2014

www.Scribd.com/doc/244277221

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11 of 20

Smoke Al arm W arni ng

P ar t 2: F o r F i r e F i g h t e r s

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IAFF Resolution | A FA C P o s i t i o n

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Photoelectric Smoke Alarms - Recommended by:
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International Association of Fire Fighters
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(IAFF - 300,000+ Canadian & U.S. members)
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Australasian Fire & Emergency Service Authorities Council
(AFAC - Represents all Australian & New Zealand Fire Fighters)
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Whereas IAFF members should
That all residential..
advocate for their mandatory
accommodation.. xxxxxxxxxx
requirement for placement and
be fitted with.. xxxxxxxxxx
use of photoelectric alarms in
photoelectric..
fire and building codes . . .
smoke alarms. xxxxxxxxxx
IAFF Resolution on Photoelectric Alarms
AFAC Position on Smoke Alarms
Page 3, Line 55 - Adopted August 2008
Page 3, Clause 3 - Published June 2006 xxxxxxxxxx

IAFF Resolution: 2008

AFAC Position: 2006

Governments & Manufacturers Position

Fire Fighters Official Position

They have kept the truth about ionization


alarm defects hidden from the public and
our Fire Fighters for decades and:
Do not risk their lives fighting fires.

When under the International Association of


Fire Fighters or the Australasian Fire and
Emergency Service Authorities Council they:
Risk their lives fighting fires.

Despite empirical scientific evidence and legal

Urge changing to photoelectric alarms because:

Recommend using Ionization and Photoelectric

Recommend Photoelectric alarms only. Do not

precedents proving ionization alarms are unsafe,


continue to fail in their Special Duty of Care with
the life-threatening defects with ionization alarms.1
alarms or combination ion/photo alarms.

Ionization smoke alarms may not operate


in time to alert occupants early enough to
escape from smoldering fires.
recommend combination ion/photo alarms.

The International Association of Fire Chiefs warned about ionization smoke alarms in 1980 2 and urged Fire Chiefs to
recommend photoelectric smoke alarms: www.TheWFSF.org/iafc Tragically, its message was buried. Since 2006,
manufacturers and governments have failed to warn the public of the defects inherent in ionization alarms. They now
claim there are two types of fires (smoldering and flaming) so the public needs two types of smoke alarms 3.
By doing this, for legal and political reasons, they do not have to admit they failed to warn the public.
However, there are not two types of fire - there are two stages of a fire. Most fatal fires have a smoldering stage
before bursting into flames. Australian government (CSIRO) test data prove ionization alarms may not operate in time
for occupants to escape from the early, smoldering stage of fatal fires.
Adrian Butler, Chairman, The World Fire Safety Foundation, NSW, Australia, 23 November 2014
1 UTC,

the worlds second largest smoke alarm manufacturer, refused to disclose the level of smoke
its ionization alarms activated under CSIRO testing after numerous letters and a request in
the Parliament of New South Wales Australia by Mr Christopher Gulaptis MP.

2 Most

Fire Departments today are unaware of the decades of misinformation about ionization
alarms and flawed Smoke Alarm Standards. However, as they become aware, a growing
number are taking a stand, e.g. the North Eastern Ohio Fire Prevention Association, the
Ohio Fire Chiefs Association and the Queensland Fire and Emergency Service.

3 The

Dual Alarm and Combination Ionization/Photoelectric Combination Myth (see page 8)

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Chris Gulaptis MPs
Speech Warning
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About Ionization Alarms

IAFF & AFACs Official Warning About Ionization Alarms


Ionization smoke alarms may not operate in time to alert
occupants early enough to escape from smoldering fires.
Extract from the IAFF Resolution and the AFAC Position above

Note: See the IAFF & AFAC Presidents Quotes on page 2


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12 of 20

Smoke Al arm W arni ng

P ar t 2: F o r F i r e F i g h t e r s

Albany Fire Departments Stand Against Ionization


and Combination Ionization/Photoelectric Alarms
When you mix clear water
with muddy water you
still have muddy water.
Chief McGinns quote after Albanys
landmark legislation mandating
photoelectric-only smoke alarms, not
combination ionization/photo-electric
alarms | 21 June 2010

Chief Marc McGinn


Albany Fire Department
Albany, California, USA

Albany, California Fire Departments


Warning About Deadly Ionization Alarms

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Californian Legislature
Assembly Resolution

...flame detectors and not smoke detectors...

A Special Duty of Care


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If the public are told to buy photoelectric smoke alarms because theyre
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better most people will do nothing. Why should they? Ionization alarms will
often activate when cooking toast, lulling people into a false sense of security.
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Authorities have a Special Duty of Care to warn the public and fire fighters
that ionization alarms have life-threatening defects and thereby allow them to
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make an informed decision so they may properly protect their families from fire.
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Adrian Butler, Chairman WFSF, NSW, Australia | 23 November 2014
Adrian Butler

Myths
ed
Explain
see page 7

MYTH

But my ionization alarms are great, they go off when I cook.

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13 of 20

Smoke Alarm Warning

Part 2: For Fire Fighters

Messages for Fire Fighters | Litigation | More


Are Ionization Smoke Alarms
Putting Fire Fighters Lives at Risk?
If fire officials had really understood the
difference between the two technologies,
like theyre starting to learn now, theres a
good chance our kids would be alive today.
Dean Dennis, Fathers For Fire Safety, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
Dean & Andrea Dennis

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www.Scribd.com/doc/245353416

How the truth about ionization


alarm defects has been hidden
for the public and fire fighters
for over forty years.
by Richard M Patton, Fire Protection
Engineer, Sacramento, California, USA

www.TheWFSF.org/waib
Richard Patton FPE

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Hear ABC Radio Interview
with Captain Ashe and
Australian MP, Chris Gulaptis

The story of The Fire That


Changed Everything, the
catalyst behind the first
U.S. photoelectric only
state-wide legislation.
by Russell Ashe, Medal of
Honor firefighter, Vermont, USA

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www.TheWFSF.org/ashetour

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The Law And You Radio Interview
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24 June, 2014 | Montgomery, Alabama, U.S.A
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Radio interview with Australian and U.S. smoke
alarm
experts and record-breaking U.S. law firm:
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...this ionization smoke detector is dangerous and
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people are going to die because of that danger.
Labarron Boone
Quote from The Law & You Interview by Labarron Boone, Partner and
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Shareholder, Beasley Allen Law Firm, Montgomery, AL, USA | 24 June 2014
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www.Vimeo.com/99344355

Myths
ed
Explain

Smoke Alarm
Myths Explained

Find answers to common myths by,


1. Clicking on your countrys link below:
Australia | New Zealand | U.K.
www.TheWFSF.org/firefightersaunz

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www.TheWFSF.org/firefightersusca

The Foundations website is


the worlds largest resource on
ionization and photoelectric alarms:

2. Scroll down to the bottom of page

www.TheWFSF.org

U.S.A. | Canada

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14 of 20

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The World Fire Safety Foundation thanks

Valerie Rivett & Natalie Dale


for supporting this life-saving
message and advocating for

Averyanas Law

Valerie Rivett

Averyana, Natalie, Gia

AV E R YA N A S L AW
Exposing Flawed Smoke Alarm Standards

C O N T E N TS:
- V Rivett Testimony to NY City Council, 24 October 2013 (pages 16-17)
- Media report about Averyanas Law (pages 18-20)

Extract Bill S3299-2013: An act to amend the tax law, in relation to enacting "Averyana's law"
JUSTIFICATION: On March 11, 2012, two year old Averyana Dale tragically lost her life due to smoke
inhalation in a fire in Auburn, NY. It was later determined that the fire was a smoldering fire, which produces a
significant amount of smoke, but very little actual flame.
Currently there are two types of smoke detectors available in the market place, Ionization and Photoelectric.
Ionization detectors are present in about 95% of homes. Unfortunately these types of detectors have a high rate
of failure when detecting smoldering fires. Photoelectric detectors on the other hand, are extremely successful
at detecting smoldering fires.
http://open.nysenate.gov/legislation/bill/S3299-2013

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V Rivett Testimony to NY City Council, 24 Oct 2013 | 1 of 2

October 24, 2013


New York City Council
Committee on Housing & Buildings
250 Broadway, Suite 1765
New York, NT 10007
Mrs Valerie Rivett
Photoelectric Smoke Alarm Advocate
Auburn, New York
My Testimony to the NYCC Housing & Buildings Committees Residential
Photoelectric Smoke Alarm Legislation Hearing - Oct 24, 2013
March 10, 2012. It was a Saturday night approximately 11:00 pm. My 22 year old daughter
Brittany and I were playing on our new iPhones. As we scrolled through the apps, she
came across a local police/fire scanner and decided we should download it and listen to
what was going on around the city. The call that we heard come in would change our lives
forever. The address was 26 Greenview Circle in Auburn, New York. Immediately Brittany
and I looked at each other and knew this was Rachel Harris-Curiones house. Rachel was
my younger sister Natalies best friend and Godmother to her two year old daughter
Averyana. Occasionally, Rachel would have Averyana stay at her home for an overnight
as she was like a second mother to Averyana.

Averyana

As the second call was coming through, I called my sister Natalie and asked her if
Averyana was at Rachel's. She said "Yes." I told her the fire trucks were going to Rachel's and to get there as quickly
as possible and that I would call 911 to let them know that Averyana was also in the apartment and they needed to
rescue her. As I ran to get dressed, Natalie called back and she was screaming like I have never heard before; the
only thing I could make out was the word, "hospital." I jumped in the car and headed for the hospital praying to God
that everything would be okay. As I jumped out of my car and ran for the Emergency Room doors, an ambulance
pulled up with Averyana. The crew was performing CPR on her as they were wheeling her in. I immediately knew it
wasn't looking good, but continued to pray for a miracle. Family members from both Rachel's and my family began
pouring in to the emergency waiting room. We were crying hysterically. It was about 15 minutes after they brought
Averyana in that we could hear a young child crying, immediately we all thought it was Averyana. We started thanking
God for answering our prayers. However, the cry was not Averyana - it was another child.
Soon after, a doctor came out and said he was so sorry he couldn't save them. They were gone. My sister Natalie and
my mom, along with many others, collapsed on the floor. Ill remember their piercing screams for the rest of my life.
Soon after the families were allowed to go in and see both Rachel and Averyana. My sister Natalie rocked Averyanas
body singing, Hush Little Baby Dont say a Word. This was the last time she would ever hold Averyana and sing to her.
The next day on Monday, March the 12th, I went to Rachel's apartment. I wanted answers; we needed to know what
had happened. I was nervous going there thinking how could I bare the pain of looking at the burnt out apartment?
However, as you will see below, this was not the case. Rachel's apartment had no visible structural damage to indicate
two young people had just lost their lives in a fire. As I walked up to the apartment I noticed the door was open so I
went in. There was no structural damage inside either, just thick black soot. As I looked down by the front door I could
see an outline in the soot where Rachel and Averyana had perished. It was clear they had tried to escape the fire but
couldn't. They were only inches from the front door. The house was newly
built and was equipped with hard-wired smoke alarms. So why didn't
they get out? I was in total shock, why had they died when Rachel had
brand new smoke alarms?

Rachels house with no structural


damage the morning after the fire

I started questioning our local fire chief, our fire department firefighters
and the detectives. They all responded with much the same answer, "It
was accidental and such a tragedy."
They said theyd had several
firemen including a deputy fire chief from Boston call them asking the
same question, Why hadnt they escaped?
I immediately called
Boston fire departments looking for the deputy fire chief that contacted
our Fire Department. I finally managed to track down Chief Jay Fleming.
After speaking for a long time he asked, What type of smoke alarms
were in Rachels apartment? I said, "I'm not sure what you mean, isn't
there just one type of smoke alarm?" Her apartment was new and the
firemen said she had battery back-up, hard-wired alarms. How much
safer could you be than if you had brand new, hard-wired smoke
alarms?

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V Rivett Testimony to NY City Council, 24 Oct 2013 | 2 of 2

However, Chief Fleming told me there are two completely different smoke alarm technologies, ionization and
photoelectric. I started researching smoke alarms extensively. I was amazed when I found out that in the states of
Massachusetts and Vermont, that both border New York, photoelectric smoke alarms have been mandatory for years.
They have been actively promoted in Boston for over a decade and Boston has the lowest fire death rate in the U.S.
As a mother and citizen I find it extremely hard to comprehend why New Yorkers have been told next to nothing about
photoelectric smoke alarms.
What was the most stunning revelation of all was the Hackert v First Alert law suit here in New York. In 2008, more
than three years before Averyana died, federal court judges declared the failure of the ionization smoke alarms in the
Hackerts home was a legal cause of deaths and that the ionization alarms were defective under New York law. I have
been working with campaigners across America and from Australia who have been fighting to expose the defects of
ionization smoke alarms for decades.
Almost all you ever hear from authorities is to make sure you have a working smoke alarm. I knew that I had to get the
message out about photoelectric smoke alarms so that others do not have to suffer the ongoing pain and anguish my
family suffers every day. Thats why I started the campaign for Averyanas Law.
New Yorks proposed Averyanas Law is state-wide photoelectric legislation that states:
Averyana Dale most likely lost her life because the ionization smoke detector that was present in the home she was
in did not alert her to the fire until it was too late. If a photoelectric detector had been in the home, it is considerably
more likely she would have been alerted to the smoke sooner and would have made it out safely.

Averyana and Rachel died in an apartment fitted with new, hard-wired ionization alarms. CBS and others say ionization
smoke alarms are deadly. One of the main problems with them is they are unable to safely detect visible smoke. From
my research I learned that ionization alarms can be sometimes 30-50 minutes slower to sound than photoelectric
alarms in the early, smoldering stage of a fire and sometimes they may fail to sound at all.
This information is known to the authorities who have kept the truth from the public and firefighters for decades. From
the Mercer v BRK case (1998) it is clear that failing to warn the public of the known defects with ionization alarms is a
crime. I am certainly not a legal expert. However, I am a Mother and I do know right from wrong.
Many firefighters have told me they are embarrassed when they find out about ionization alarms. Theyve been
handing them out in good faith for years believing they will do the job they are meant to do - to give early warning to
allow people time to safely escape. You have a Bill before you requiring photoelectric smoke alarms. Please dont
jeopardize lives in your city by requiring any form of ionization technology. I believe doing so is a compromise and will
cost more lives. I know first hand they are unreliable and have far too many problems.
Tonight some of you will tuck your loved ones in and kiss them goodnight.You will
tell them you love them and turn out the light and you will go to sleep thinking you
will see them in the morning. Most New Yorkers think theyre safe; and yet their
homes, just like Rachels, are almost all fitted with ionization smoke alarms.
On March 10, 2012 my sister Natalie called Averyana on the phone and said,
Good night, I love you and Ill see you in the morning.
A parent's worst nightmare became a reality for my sister. Instead of taking my
niece home, Natalie has had to pick a plot, buy a headstone and a casket and
find the prettiest dress ever to bury our precious Averyana in.
For legal reasons no one wants to admit ionization alarms are unsafe. I want to
congratulate you on your proposed photoelectric legislation, because its not
about saving face - it is all about saving lives.
Thank you.
Mrs Valerie Rivett
Photoelectric Smoke Alarm Advocate
Auburn, New York
24 October 2013
For more Information please visit:

www.AveryanasLaw.org
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17 of 20

Averyanas Law Media Report, 27 October 2013 | 1 of 3

Averyanas legacy: Auburn girls death


spurs effort for new fire safety regulations

Members of the Fire and Iron MC Station 222, from top left, Jason Baco, Chris Currier, Josh Greer, Stefon
Szozda, Steve Landers, Warren Burchim, and Dick Stabinsky stand with, from left, Natalie Dale, mother
of Averyana Dale, and Valerie Rivett next to Averyana's grave at St. Joseph's Cemetery in Auburn.

by Greg Mason | greg.mason@lee.net

If you go
WHAT: Alarms for Averyana
fundraiser
WHEN: 1 to 5p.m. Today Oct. 27
WHERE: Ukranian National Club.
113 Cottage St., Auburn
Admission for adults is $10, kids
are free. Donations will go toward
the purchase of photoelectric
alarms to be handed out to the
community at a later time.

A smoke alarm is a
smoke alarm right?
Valerie Rivett would say
that isnt true.
Rivett, of Auburn,
learned that there are
actually three dierent
smoke
alarm
technologies residents
can choose to install in
their
homes:
photoelectric, ionization
and a combination of the
two.

She could describe each


ones attributes and
would gladly tell any
interested party just why,
in her belief, installing a photoelectric smoke alarm, as
opposed to an alarm which utilizes ionization technologies,
could give that resident a better chance of surviving a house
fire.
And like many people, Rivett did not know the dierence
not until doing more than a years worth of research.

She needed to know the dierence. She needed to know if


she could inspire change.
More importantly, she needed to know how her 2-year-old
niece could have died.
'How could they not get out?'
The Auburn Fire Department called it a tragic accident.
Two-year-old Averyana Dale lost her life in a house fire at an
Auburn residence on March 11, 2012. The homeowner, 38year-old Rachel Harris-Curione, who was Dales godmother,
lost her life as well.
Both died from smoke inhalation.
The fire itself was relatively small, according to Auburn Fire
Chief Je Dygert. It had started around 11 p.m. on March
10. It was a kitchen fire: fire investigators determined that an
item had caught fire next to a burner that was either
inadvertently left on or had not yet cooled after use.
The two were found unresponsive in the living room of the
residence, about 10 feet away from the kitchen, Dygert said.
After resuscitative eorts to revive them, both were
transported to Auburn Community Hospital where they were
pronounced dead.

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Dygert said the fire was not the type one would expect to
cause such fatalities.

There is no way of knowing if Harris-Curiones smoke alarms


did not react at the time of the fire, according to Dygert.

Whenever theres a fatality and a child is involved, thats


typically rough on the firefighters involved, he said. It
certainly raises everyones awareness.

The fire chief said neighbors had reported the alarms going
o at some point, but the department could not determine at
what point that was.

The incident left Rivetts sister, Natalie Dale, without one of


her children. It left Harris-Curiones son orphaned. It left
Rivett in a daze.

Still, Rivett was convinced by Flemings research and thus,


her own research began.

Rivett went to the house the day after the fire. She said there
was a lot of black soot all over the residence and a
distinctive lack of structural damage. She said HarrisCurione had newly purchased ionization smoke alarms
installed in the home.
How could they not get out? she asked herself.
'You think youre safe'
Word about the tragedy spread far.
Others called the Auburn Fire Department asking about how
the two died that March night. Rivett said she learned of a
number of firefighters calling from the Boston Fire
Department and sought to track down any information she
could.
She eventually reached Deputy Chief Jay Fleming of the
Boston Fire Department who has researched for more than
20 years in smoke alarm technologies and detailed Rivett on
the dierences between the two.
Fleming told Rivett about a number of dierent studies
pertaining to photoelectric and ionization alarms conducted
by the U.S. Commerce Departments National Institute of
Standards and Technology.
Research conducted by the NIST reveals that the dierent
types of smoke alarm technologies react dierently
depending on the type of fire. Flaming fires are what people
typically think of when they think of a house fire roaring
fires that engulf a property.
Smoldering fires, however, are a dierent animal entirely,
Fleming said. These types of fires typically produce a lot of
smoke as opposed to flames, and are detected dierently
depending on the alarm.
Ionization alarms, Fleming said, react 30 minutes slower
than photoelectric during a smoldering fire, according to
research studies. On the other hand, photoelectric alarms
react slower than ionization, but only by about 50 seconds.
Ionization alarms also have a higher nuisance alarm rate,
Fleming said, causing a lot of residents to remove the
battery from the alarm, he said. This typically happens when
a resident is cooking, and the action causes the alarm to go
o without any danger.
The smoldering fires are the true killers, especially at night
when the residents are asleep, Fleming said.
Its not a question of flaming versus smoldering, he said.
Its a matter of how many people are going to be sleeping
during a flaming fire.
Rivett said she was taken aback by the information.

I didnt know the dierence before looking into this, she


said. I thought a smoke alarms a smoke alarm. You think
youre safe.
Auburn to Australia It can happen to anybody
Fleming told Rivett that bordering states Massachusetts and
Vermont had regulations permitting only photoelectric
alarms to be installed into new construction. Why dont
we? Rivett asked.
This type of legislation has been something she has been
campaigning for about as soon as she learned the
dierences between the two technologies. Shes been trying
to get some form of law passed in New York state, lovingly
titled Averyanas Law.
Shes received support from all over the planet from
Auburn to Australia from like-minded individuals to help
her on her path.
Dean Dennis is from Cincinnati, Ohio and has advocated
about fire safety for about 10 years. He met with Rivett and
Dale three months following Averyana's death. Dale's loss
hit Dennis personally: he lost his own daughter in a house
fire after the smoke alarms were disabled due to nuisances.
He said studies conducted at Texas A&M show residents
with photoelectric smoke alarms installed in their homes
have a higher chance of surviving a fire than residents with
ionization alarms. This applies for both a smoldering fire and
a fast flaming fire.
If we can get somebody's attention in the government
about this issue, we can save 1,000 lives a year, he said.
It's as simple as that.
And in Australia, Adrian Butler, chairman and co-founder of
the World Fire Safety Organization, had heard of Rivetts
task and a website was created to support and
track New Yorks endeavors in this area.
He said Rivett discovered a study by the International
Association of Fire Fighters from 2008, which showed, due
to delays by ionization alarms, that photoelectric alarms will
drastically reduce loss of life among citizens and firefighters.
That is why the IAFF, as well as the Federal Emergency
Management Agency, recommends only photoelectric
alarms, he said.
If New York City's legislation passes, this could be a
catalyst for saving countless lives - not just in New York, but
right around the world, Butler said.
Rivett, of course, has reached out to state officials in her
efforts to get legislation on the table. The bill was introduced
to the state senate on Jan. 31 by State Sen. Michael Nozzolio.

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The wording of the legislation would give any participating


New Yorker a tax credit for the installation and purchase of a
photoelectric alarm.

"We need something a little more concrete and, hopefully, it


will be state-wide, even national, but we'll start on a state
level, he said.

The bill is still under review in the Senates Ways and Means
committee as well as the Investigations and Gov.
Operations committee. Nozzolio said, however, it would be
brought back to the floor during legislative session in
January.

For now, the Auburn Fire Department recommends both


alarms to be installed in a residence, according to Dygert, to
cover all of the bases.

The state senator said the purpose of the bill is to


encourage New Yorkers to purchase this type of technology
for their homes.
Many New Yorkers are just not aware of this technology,
he said. It saves lives and its something
that needs to be understood and accepted.
With the legislation making its way through the state
departments, Auburn Mayor Michael Quill said he doesnt
foresee any action by city government in passing city-wide
litigation at this juncture.
The mayor said he is in favor of anything that will save a
persons life, but it will have to wait for now.

Theres compelling evidence that photoelectric will respond


faster than ionization under certain conditions, he said.
Theres definitely an advantage to having both.
Fleming, however, said he recommends only photoelectric
alarms as the possibility of a nuisance alarm exists.
Regardless, Rivett said she will keep working at it for as long
as she has to. On Sunday, an event called Alarms for
Averyana will be hosted at the Ukrainian National Club in
Auburn. Sponsored by the Auburn chapter of the Fire and
Iron Motorcycle Club, proceeds from the benefit will go
toward photoelectric alarms to be handed out to the
community at a later date.
Rivett said she does not want another family to experience
what hers did that one March night.
I still have not let up. I just wont let up, she said.

Sta writer Greg Mason can be reached at (315) 282-2239 or greg.mason@lee.net Follow him on Twitter @CitizenMason.
Story extracted 27 Oct, 13 from The Citizen newspapers www.AuburnPub.com, Auburn, New York, USA.

Using better (photoelectric) smoke alarms will drastically


reduce the loss of life among citizens and firefighters.
Harold A Schaitberger, General President, International Association of
Firefighters (300,000 + US & Canadian members), USA. 29 Oct, 2008

IAFF - 300,000 +
Members

Harold Schaitberger

I introduced the photoelectric smoke detector bill . . .


I believe the evidence shows that the chances of
surviving a fire condition are infinitely better if you have
a photoelectric smoke detector in your home as opposed
to the more commonly used ionization detector.
Elizabeth Crowley, N.Y. City Council Member at hearing for the Bill
(Int. No. 865) she proposed to mandate photoelectric smoke alarms
in residential accommodation in New York City. 24 Oct, 2013

Seal of the City


of New York

Elizabeth Crowley

"Photoelectric picks up a smoldering fire quicker than ionization


alarms . . . gets the fire department there sooner and we
mitigate the problem before it gets tragic."
Dick Stabinski, Fire & Iron Firefighters Motor Cycle Club;
Lieutenant, Auburn, N.Y. Fire Department, during TV news interview
about Averyanas Law fundraiser, Auburn, New York, USA. 27 Oct, 2013

Fire & Iron


Motor Cycle Club

Dick Stabinsky

For more Information please visit:

www.AveryanasLaw.org
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