The Need for Smoke Alarms in Bedrooms

NFPA Recommendations

• The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends installing smoke alarms both inside and outside all bedrooms in newly constructed one- and two-family homes. Smoke alarms are not required inside the bedrooms of existing homes, but the NFPA warns that using the minimum number of required smoke alarms may not always give residents adequate warning of a fire and lists bedrooms as a possible site for additional detectors.

Bedroom Fire Hazards

• Smoke alarms should always be installed inside bedrooms if there are specific fire hazards located therein. Examples of specific hazards include smoking in the bedroom -- a common cause of fires -- and the use of space heaters. Televisions, room air conditioners and other appliances may also cause bedroom fires. In the case of a fire that starts inside an occupied bedroom, it may take smoke too long to exit the room and set off a smoke detector outside.

The Bedroom Door

• Whether the bedroom door is open or closed at the time of a fire affects how quickly smoke alarms are set off. When the door is open, smoke moves relatively freely into or out of the room. If it is closed, a fire outside the bedroom may take some time to set off a smoke detector inside the room, and a fire inside will take time to set off an alarm located outside. The safest option in this case is to locate smoke alarms both inside and outside the room.

Types of Smoke Alarms

• Some people, especially those with hearing impairment, may not wake from a deep sleep in response to a standard smoke alarm. Other varieties of smoke alarm are available to address this concern, including strobe light alarms and bed-shakers. Strobe alarms shine a bright light, typically at least 110 candles in brightness, instead of making noise. These units work best when mounted directly over the head of the bed. Bed-shakers, as the name implies, vibrate the bed or pillow to wake a sleeping individual.