Draper Fire Dept. Installs Strobe Light Smoke Detectors For Deaf Family

DRAPER, Utah – Lots of home projects are getting done during the pandemic, and for the Grossinger family in Draper, that project could very well save their lives from fire.

“So many people are spending so much time at home, people are in the kitchen, cooking — things happen,” said Brooke Grossinger.

Using a sign language interpreter, KSL interviewed Grossinger at her Draper home Thursday morning.

She, her husband and her 8-year old daughter are deaf. Only their 6-year son can hear. 

“All of us really hear very little. Nothing, I would say, except our son,” said Grossinger. 

Thanks to @drapercityfire, a family is getting new strobe light smoke detectors installed in their home. Mom, dad, and 8-year old daughter are deaf. Only 6-year old son can hear. It’s part of #nationalfirepreventionweek. We’ll have this story on @KSL5TV at 6. #ksltv pic.twitter.com/M7b1XmU9gG

— Alex Cabrero (@KSL_AlexCabrero) October 1, 2020

When she emailed the Draper Fire Department asking for a wildfire risk assessment at her home, which sits near the top of the Suncrest subdivision, Draper Fire Marshal Don Buckley went inside and heard their smoke detectors chirping. 

“Everybody takes their smoke detectors for granted because the majority of us can hear,” said Buckley. 

Their 6-year old didn’t know what the chirping was, so he couldn’t alert his family. 

But it got Buckley thinking — what if the detectors went off because of a fire?   

“That’s a lot of burden for him to have to make sure everybody gets out of the house,” said Buckley. 

The Grossingers said their neighbors check on them every now and then, but if there was a fire, chances are they wouldn’t know about it in time unless their son alerted them. 

“We have always had sound-based smoke detectors, which is a joke because none of us can hear that,” said Grossinger. “It’s really not fair to depend on our son if something happens to tell us, you know?” 

With next week being fire prevention week, Buckley got some fire prevention companies to donate their time and equipment and they started installing strobe light smoke detectors at the Grossinger home Thursday for free. 

“Super, shockingly grateful,” said Grossinger. “It really hasn’t been safe at all, and the city of Draper has really stepped up to help us.” 

It gives the family peace of mind. 

Now, while they’re staying home more to be safe from COVID-19, they’re also safer from fire. 

“It’s always best to be prepared,” said Grossinger. “It’s just a really good opportunity, especially for us in the deaf community, to keep our houses safe.”