Faribault Fire Chief Says Talking Smoke Detector Most Effective

Dustin Dienst, Faribault Fire Chief, stopped by KDHL to discuss several topics related to National Fire Prevention Week.

This Saturday the Faribault Fire Department is having a Open House at the Fire Station located at 122 2nd Street NW.  The event take place from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.

The theme this year is, "Learn the sounds of fire safety."

Free smoke detectors will be given away to the adults during the open house while kids receive free fire hats.

Kids will have a chance to spray the fire hose.  There will be Thermal Imager demonstrations for kids of all ages.

There is a Kid's Agility Course.  Everyone can take photos in front of the fire trucks.

In past years a very popular attraction during the Faribault Fire Department Open House has been a smokehouse but Dienst says it won't be used this year for "obvious reasons."  He did say the obstacle course is relatively new.

"That's a nice event for mornings where children still have a lot of energy.  They get a little tired afterwards so if nothing else bring them out and we'll tire them out a little bit for you."

I reminisced about my younger days when the local fire department would stop by school over 50 years ago and teach us to stop, drop and roll if we are ever on fire.

Dienst says that type of basic information still hasn't changed over the years, "There's very little new in the fire world when it comes to what to do when there is a fire.  What has changed is the fire itself.  That's changed because of how we build things and what we make things out of.  It burns faster.  It gives off more toxic smoke because it's made out of poly, a form of gasoline which gives off a different kind of smoke than back in the day when everything was made out of wood and cotton and natural stuff."

The Faribault Fire Chief stated, "You have a lot less time to get out of your house in case of fire.  Back when you were young (I'm 62) you had about 15 minutes to get out of your house when the smoke alarm was going off, now you have 2 to 3 minutes."

Dienst told us he has a smoke detector that talks in his home and revealed studies have been conducted that indicate a talking smoke detector is the most effective in waking people up.  Particularly children.

"They've discovered a female voice on an alarm talking instead of just beeping is more effective.  It's like mom talking to them.  Like in our house kids listen to mom more than they do dad. A voice is better than beeping and a female voice is better than a male voice."

You can listen to the podcast of the program below.

Does this come under the auspices of the City Emergency Management Director?

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