Most standard fire alarms and smoke detectors will not wake up people that suffer from hearing loss or are deaf, providing an extreme challenge when it comes to fire safety. In an effort to assist those with a hearing disability, the Lifetone HL will detect the alarm sounds given by smoke alarms and smoke alarm systems, and send out loud, low and multiple frequency (520 Hz) alarms which is more effective to awakening and alerting individuals. In addition to the alarm sound, the Lifetone HL will activate the included Lifetone Bed Shaker as a secondary alert. While providing the same features as an ordinary alarm clock, this device can be placed next to a bed or usual nighttime sleeping area and offers added safety in the event of a fire. The clock is designed to be plugged in, however, in the event of a power failure the included batteries will act as a backup (for a minimum of seven days) to ensure you are protected at all times. Protect your loved ones by creating a life-saving environment ideal for those with hearing loss, seniors, children, and heavy sleepers. Statistics According to the Archives of Internal Medicine, July 2008, 70 million Americans have high-frequency hearing loss. High-frequency hearing loss inhibits people from hearing everyday sounds, from consonants such as 'S' or 'F', to children's or women's voices, even a smoke alarm/smoke detector. Research shows that 95% of respondents with hearing loss woke to the square-wave alarm of the Lifetone HL Bedside Fire Alarm and Clock, an improvement of 39 percentage points versus current smoke alarms/smoke detectors. Other Features # A patented Hearing Sensor that constantly listens for and detects only UL-listed and NFPA recommended smoke alarms that emit a standardized T3 signal # A tactile alarm is provided in the form of the UL-listed Lifetone Bed Shaker that vibrates intermittently if there is an emergency alarm, and in a continuous manner for the wake-up alarm # A Silence button that can silence the emergency alarm temporarily. If the smoke alarm is detected again the emergency alarm will sound again within 10-15 seconds # As a safety feature, when AC or battery power is first applied, the Lifetone HL will require a test of your installed smoke alarms # If AC power is lost, the red power LED, located on the front left corner, will go out. In the left corner of the Display, an 'ERROR' message and an AC plug icon will flash # If the batteries are too low or missing to support seven days of battery operation, the word 'BATT' will appear on the screen in large text, a low pitched 'chirp' will sound and the bed shaker will 'twitch' at one minute intervals Square-wave Technology Day or night, the sound-wave signal in the Lifetone HL Bedside Fire Alarm and Clock is proven in independent testing to be more audible to a wider range of people, including at-risk groups such as seniors, children, and people with mild to moderately severe hearing loss.