would anybody like this idea, take out the Horn-Buzzer alarm

Post Reply New Topic

hi i'm an advocate for people with special needs and lately i was advocating for all the schools in my area Sault ste, marie if they can remove the Horn-buzzer type fire alarms used for Firedrills and so far it looks like i may succeed because with the recommendation of our fire dept fire chief i talked to the fire marshal that has an office in Lansing michigan, and i wanted to know does this sound like a novel idea, because what if there was a real fire and an autistic was at school at the time and decided to hide in the teacher's closet when the fire alarm goes off for real?

This site doesn't have a buzzer alarm. Maybe you intended to post in the Autism discussion forum?

i thought this was the place where you post questions?

This particular forum is where you can post questions about this website and how to use it or to report any problems with the website.

What type of alarm would replace it?

A silent one.

the fire alarms would be strobes only with a male/female voice.

Strobes, as in lights? I think they'd present an even more painful sensory issue than any high pitched sounding alarm.

[Moved from WrongPlanet.net discussion to General Autism Discussion]

Holy cow, NO!! !! !! Voice prompts maybe OK, but a strobe = instant meltdown for the entire Autism student body, and the students would likely run right into the flames to escape the strobe!

____________________________________________________________

I think slow-start siren, or something not so stunning and sudden as a buzzer or bell. A siren that begins at a low tone, and gradually rises (like older tornado sirens), would alert everyone but not startle and disorient the autistic people.

Charles

Some people are sensitive to light, sound, or both. I don't think there could be a sound only alarm though, due to deaf persons. With the rate of epilepsy among people with ASD as well, strobes are not a good idea, so what would be a bearable visual difference to indicate a fire alarm that is friendly to everyone?

a flashing light is pretty standard in fire alarms for those that are deaf, the sound is needed for those that are blind.
maybe just have them do the normal stuff just not as intense

here's another thing i thought the school fire alarms should sound like, Chimes, and yes these are the types of alarms hospitals use to do drills.

Yeah, a strobe would be worse than the noise because you can block your ears while walking out of the building (as I do) but you can't close your eyes! I agree with Chris; there's no need for fire alarms to be so obnoxiously loud, just keep the sound, and the current lights, but turn down the volume to a more reasonable level, it's a very simple concept.

What about a soft-toned (but adequate in volume) female voice saying "Alert, fire, please leave the building in an orderly manner by your nearest exit" (on repeat of course).

Strobe = Very bad.

The reason that alarms are made so uncomfortable is that people ignore them, especially after false alarms.

I think that the most appropriate method would be a rising tone. Start off with some gentle beeps for a few seconds, less than 10, before the main alarm starts. Those with significant sound sensitivity should carry a little pack of disposable ear plugs.