EPFD invests in new fire alarm devices for the deaf community

The El Paso Fire Department is ensuring all El Paso area residents are safe and alerted when there’s a fire, including the deaf community.

Unlike more traditional devices which use sound and light, the new device use vibrations to alert individuals to the presence of smoke.

The new device attaches to a bed, shaking it to awake the individual when smoke is detected, described as a bed shaker.

“When the alarm sounds, what happens is the bed shaker senses the alarm and then sets off a signal,” Wyatt Schmidt, a fire paramedic inspector with EPFD, said. “It vibrates and arouses or wakes the person if they’re sleeping.”

Schmidt says 66 devices have already been given out to deaf individuals throughout the city and are continuing outreach to make sure all who need them receive them.

To find out more about the devices or to apply to receive one, call 3-1-1 if you live in city limits, the fire department at 915-212-5699, visit the fire department’s website, or call the American Red Cross if you live in the county.