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Texas A&M Smoke Detector Research Featured On NBC’s “Dateline”

B. Don Russell and the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service’s Brayton Fire Field were recently featured on NBC’s “Dateline” and NBC News.
May 14, 2013

B. Don Russell
B. Don Russell

(Texas A&M Engineering)

B. Don Russell and the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service’s (TEEX) Brayton Fire Field were recently featured on NBC’s “Dateline” and NBC News.   Investigative reporters from NBC visited Texas A&M to witness experiments conducted by Russell, who has, for more than two decades, conducted research on smoke and fire detection systems.

Russell describes this research as a “sideline” activity outside his primary research area of electric power systems. “I maintain my interest in smoke detector performance because of the significance it has to public safety,” Russell said. “Hundreds of people die or are injured each year in residential fires, too often because their smoke detectors did not provide a timely alarm.”

Russell’s advice to homeowners is to buy smoke detectors that use both ionization and photoelectric sensing technologies. Combination detectors with both sensors are available in big box stores.

“Use many detectors scattered in your home and make sure you have detectors of both types “ionization and photoelectric or combination devices,” Russell said. “This is the only way you will be properly warned of the next fire that occurs in your home.”

The “Dateline” story can be viewed here.

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