Pittsburgh gets nearly $1M in funding for smoke detectors for deaf residents

Deaf and hearing-impaired Pittsburgh residents will benefit from about $1 million that’s being earmarked for smoke and fire detectors that can alert those who cannot hear that there is a fire.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency awarded the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire a $950,000 grant for the devices. The city will contribute about $50,000 for the two-year program, according to city’s Public Safety Department.

Fire officials will work with the Center for Hearing and Deaf Services to identify people who will receive the detectors, which vary in how they work depending upon the person’s needs.

Some use strobe lights as an alert, while others are worn like a pager and vibrate if there’s an alarm.

Each device costs about $600, Pittsburgh fire Chief Darryl Jones said.

Most of the money will be used for the devices, he said.

“We’re looking to help about 2,500 people,” he said.

It will help a segment of people who are underserved by fire safety programs and who face a greater risk of death or injury in a fire, Jones said.