Firefighters in Midwest City, Oklahoma, recently installed fire alarms for the hearing impaired in about 25 homes across the region. The fire alarms, specifically designed to alert individuals with hearing impairments, were part of a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. One of the recipients of these life-saving devices was 10-year-old Jazmin Williams. Jazmin's hearing and vision are impaired because of a rare genetic disorder she was born with. When she was 5, there was a fire in her family's home and she did not hear the alarm. Luckily, Jazmin's family was able to get her out of the house without any injury, but the experience left her with a fear of fire.
What makes the special smoke detectors different from regular ones is that they flash a strobe light and vibrate when smoke is detected. This way, people like Jazmin will be alerted to danger even if they cannot hear the alarm.
"So now when I know that I have a fire, I know that I'm going to be safe," Jazmin told KFOR News.
Jazmin also said that the firefighters who were working to install these devices in the homes of the hearing impaired were her heroes.