Free fire alarms given to some Vancouver people who are deaf or hard of hearing are part of a nationwide recall, according to the Vancouver Fire Department.
The Lifetone Technology model HLAC151 bedside fire alarm/clocks were installed in local homes between 2016 and this year.
The devices detect a signal by existing smoke detectors and emit a lower-frequency warning tone that might be easier for people with hearing loss to hear. They also have a screen that flashes the word “Fire.” A mechanical voice also warns “Fire get out” in English and Spanish.
In some devices the digital display on the front of the alarm does not work and the optional bed shaker does not operate during an alarm, according to a news release.
Vancouver Fire Marshal Heidi Scarpelli urges residents who received these fire alarms from the Vancouver Fire Department from 2016 through 2018 to immediately stop using them if the digital display is not working and to call Lifetone Technology at 1-800-648-7923 during business hours (Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Standard Time) to receive a prepaid mailing label for returning the alarm and instructions on receiving a free replacement.
The local recall is part of a national effort coordinated by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The CPSC said there have been no reports of injuries because of the malfunctioning alarms.
For more information regarding the recall, you can visit www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2019/Lifetone-Technology-Recalls-Bedside-Fire-Alarm-and-Clocks-Due-to-Failure-to-Fully-Alert-Consumers-to-a-Fire.
