Despite being deafening, fire alarms have many shortcomings. Walls and floors hinder the ability of these alarms to do their jobs. Also deaf persons, can't hear these alarms and the strobe lights aren't visible unless someone is out in the hallways or near an alarm.

I propose a low pitched beat that not only can be heard but felt. That way, the sound can travel in the walls and floors and get to everyone regardless of hearing or not. The beats would be timed allowing for sympathetic vibration enabling sleeping humans to be jolted awake.

This would make the high pitched and strobe alarms complete.
-- sartep, Nov 07 2004

(?) Joe's Subwoofer Superstore www.joessubs.com
Store with many different large subwoofers [SupremeJackass, Jan 02 2005]

I like this. It would certainly heighten the sense of panic during an alarm.
-- Thod, Nov 07 2004


Nice one. It should have some sort of device to measure the "thickness" of the smoke, and increase the speed of the alarm's beat when the fire is really a big one. This way people can know whether they should find the source of the fire and try to extinguish it or run for their lives.
-- Pericles, Nov 08 2004


Those are good suggestions. It should probably also give off a frequency low enough to rattle a bed mattress. So it would be a high pitch, low pitch and a really low pitch. But you get the pitch.
-- sartep, Nov 08 2004


Perhaps beat from the Jaws theme could be used... (Why cause I always thought it was a bit alarming)

[increase the speed of the alarm's beat when the fire is really a big one]
Thats a different idea... Even better would be the alarms at different points in a building sending out different signals depending on the proximity of the fire. If they are far away they send out a slower signal...
-- madness, Jan 02 2005



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