How will you wake up if your smoke alarm goes off in the middle of the night¿ when you have removed your hearing aids? What will you do if your clothes catch on fire while you are cooking¿ and you can't stop, drop, and roll because you are in a wheelchair?

In order to answer questions like these, Oklahoma ABLE Tech and OSU's Fire Protection Publications have received a $699,600 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Oklahoma ABLE Tech is a federally funded program to assist persons with disabilities to increase access to, provision of, and funding for assistive technology. Fire Protection Publications is the largest provider of firefighter training materials and curricula to all fifty states. The two agencies will combine their expertise to distribute and install free smoke alarms to Oklahomans with disabilities.

Nancy Trench, the Assistant Director of Fire Protection Publications, said the Fire Safety Solutions for Oklahomans with Disabilities program "targets people who are blind or have low vision, people who are deaf or hard of hearing, [and] people with mobility impairments." The Fire Safety Solutions for Oklahomans with Disabilities project will be working with disability-related organizations that represent persons who have visual, hearing, and mobility impairments. Together they will create important fire safety materials that directly address the unique needs of people with disabilities. Additionally, the project will seek to identify and provide qualified individuals with free professional installation of appropriate smoke alarms, along with a fire exit plan specific to the individual's residence.

According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 32.6% of Oklahomans have at least one disability. Sensory and mobility impairments can greatly hinder a person's ability to escape a fire. Fire can engulf a house in flames in less than four minutes, so every second counts. The earlier you are alerted to a fire, the better your chances of survival.

Traditional smoke alarms rarely meet the specialized needs of people with disabilities. For example, if you are deaf, no traditional smoke alarm will be able to alert you to a fire that starts at night. Smoke alarms for people with hearing impairments are usually connected to a strobe light and/or a vibrating pad that can wake them up. People with mobility impairments need remote controls for their smoke alarms so they can test the batteries themselves. Linda Jaco, the Program Manager of Oklahoma ABLE Tech, noted "it is important to provide life-saving assistive technologies, such as these smoke alarms, to people with disabilities so that they are in control of their own safety."

However, having a smoke alarm is not enough to prevent all fire-related accidents and deaths. The smoke alarm must be in the proper place, and you must know what to do in case of a fire. The Fire Safety Solutions for Oklahomans with Disabilities project will also provide free professional installation of the smoke alarm for qualified applicants. If you are qualified to participate, fire safety professionals will assist you in making fire exit plans. You will also receive important safety materials that directly address your needs based upon your disability type.

This project will also serve as an important example to other states so they have a model to establish their own smoke alarm distribution program for people with disabilities. Thanks to these initiatives, 2005 should be a safer year in Oklahoma. For more information about how you or your organization can participate in the Fire Safety Solutions for People with Disabilities project, please contact Oklahoma ABLE Tech at (405) 744-9748 or 1-800-257-1705.