Whitefish firefighters receive grant to assist hearing-impaired seniors

The Whitefish Firefighters Association was awarded a $10,000 Good Neighbor Grant from State Farm to provide specialized smoke detectors that are designed to alert hearing-impaired seniors to an emergency situation.

Hearing-impaired, deaf, and deaf-blind senior citizens need more than the traditional smoke detector to notify them of an emergency, especially after removing their hearing aids before to going to bed. The National Fire Prevention Agency recommends alarm systems with flashing lights and vibrations for these at-risk individuals. These specialized devices monitor the frequency emitted by smoke alarms during an emergency and send a signal to the receiver, which flashes lights and vibrates the bed to wake the person.

The Whitefish Firefighters Association will be working with local community agencies to identify eligible recipients of these specialized alarms. Firefighter crews are planning to visit program participants this fall to install the alarm systems and demonstrate how they operate. Whitefish first responders will also verify that the existing smoke detectors in these homes are operational and in the proper locations. If previously installed units need to be replaced or if additional detectors are needed to activate the specialized alarms, new 10-year sealed photoelectric smoke detectors will also be provided and installed by Whitefish firefighters free of charge.

“The grant from State Farm allows us to provide a valued community service that will improve life safety for seniors,” said Fire Marshal Travis Tveidt. “Firefighters will educate homeowners in person on proper placement of smoke detectors, and residents can ask questions about potential fire hazards and escape route recommendations. This equipment meets the need of how to notify hearing-impaired seniors to an urgent situation, and most importantly, it could save a life.”

The U.S. Fire Administration estimates that individuals 65 and older are twice as likely to be injured or killed in a fire as the rest of the population. By age 75, that risk increases to three times and then four times by age 85. In the most recent census, 20.5% of Flathead County's citizens are age 65 or older.