Blog

Kidde: Innovations in Fire Safety

July 14, 2023|fsstechnologies

Your fire alarm system can protect your family, home, and belongings from fires, gas leaks, and other hazards. FSS Technologies is committed to providing its customers with top-of-the-line fire safety and emergency prevention technology, which is why we are a proud provider of products from Kidde, North America’s most installed fire safety brand. Learn about Kidde’s products and how to incorporate them into your home’s fire safety system.

What is Kidde?

Kidde is a company that specializes in smoke detection and fire suppression. Founded by Walter Kidde, the company has provided cutting-edge solutions and products for over 100 years through vendor partnerships, community engagement, and non-profit efforts. Check out what Kidde has to offer for residential and commercial fire safety.

Kidde HomeSafe products provide a more innovative solution to home safety with groundbreaking technology that combines standard detector functions with air quality monitoring. Kidde was the first to create multi-function detectors listed by UL Solutions, a global authority that tests, inspects, and issues certifications for product innovation. Most HomeSafe products detect at least one safety threat, in addition to air quality, giving your home a more comprehensive capability to monitor for safety hazards. HomeSafe detectors can monitor your home for different combinations of these hazards:

  • Smoke
  • Carbon monoxide
  • Indoor air quality issues
  • Water leaks or freezes

Kidde’s HomeSafe devices connect with the Kidde app, giving users a complete view of their home devices wherever they are. The app provides notifications if a connected device detects any issues in your home. Additionally, multiple devices in the same house can connect so that one alarm will trigger all devices. Alarm systems can be tested through the app so users can ensure their systems work before an emergency occurs. If an alarm is activated, the app can be configured to send mobile alerts to approved family members or friends and alert the homeowner. If there is a false alarm while a user is home, they can use the app’s Smart Hush feature to silence it.

For homes that use voice capabilities through Google Home or Amazon Alexa, HomeSafe devices are an excellent solution because they can integrate with these smart-home assistants. Once connected, you can use voice commands to check the status and connection of your HomeSafe devices.

In addition to its HomeSafe devices, Kidde provides a trusted selection of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors for your home’s fire safety measures. Kidde devices depend on household batteries, sealed-in lithium batteries, or direct electrical connections through wiring or outlets. Some wired options include a battery backup in case your home loses power.

Kidde detectors use different types of sensors to detect smoke or carbon monoxide:

  • Ionization sensors are more responsive to visibly flaming fires.
  • Photoelectric sensors typically respond more to smoking, smoldering fires.
  • Electrochemical sensors detect carbon monoxide through chemical reactions that create electrical surges in the device.

Some Kidde devices use a combination of ionization and photoelectric sensors for more comprehensive home protection. Multiple Kidde devices can be interconnected for even greater protection; an alert from one device can trigger a home’s system of connected devices.

Fire extinguishers are necessary for fire safety in any environment, residential or commercial. Kidde offers fire extinguishers for homes, vehicles, businesses, and other settings. These extinguishers use different chemicals for fire suppression depending on the extinguisher’s rating:

  • Class A – solid materials
  • Class B – flammable liquids and gases
  • Class C – electrical equipment
  • Class D – combustible metals
  • Class K – cooking oils and greases 

While some extinguishers work solely with one class, Kidde offers a selection of fire extinguishers compatible with Class A, B, and C fires.

In addition to the essentials, Kidde provides accessories that enhance your home’s accessibility and emergency response options:

  • Heat alarms expand protective measures to spaces unsuitable for standard smoke detectors.
  • Relay modules for smoke or carbon monoxide alarms connect your detectors to auxiliary warning devices that use sound or light, making your safety alerts more accessible.
  • Test kits check if your home is affected by mold or radon gas.
  • Adapters can help you replace wire-in smoke alarms quickly.
  • Escape ladders can provide emergency exit options from two- or three-story residences.
  • KeySafe lock boxes and cabinets can make key access easier for your family, roommates, or other authorized entrants.

Connecting to Kidde with FSS Technologies

Finding the right fire safety system for your home or business is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Our team of experts is committed to understanding your needs and finding the best devices and designs to meet them. By partnering with FSS Technologies, you gain expertise from developing your custom system to maintaining it long after it’s installed. Contact us today to start crafting your fire alarm system with Kidde devices.

Explore Our Other Blogs

fire-rating-hero-min

What are Fire Ratings?

Any business owner would be devastated by a fire, and most turn to fire safety systems for preventative and protective solutions. Still, many are unaware that their building’s materials can directly influence how a fire impacts their building’s structure. In addition to investing in a comprehensive fire safety system, it is critical to consider the…

Continue reading
fire-inspection-faqs-hero-min

FAQs About Fire Alarm Inspections

Fire alarm inspections are a critical part of protecting people, property, and business continuity. For commercial building owners, property managers, and facility teams, these inspections are not just a regulatory obligation—they are an essential safeguard that helps ensure fire alarm systems will function when they are needed most. Understanding how fire alarm inspections work, what…

Continue reading
Hero-Detroit-min

The Safest Neighborhoods in Detroit

Low-Crime Neighborhoods of Detroit SafeWise released its rankings of Michigan’s 20 Safest Cities of 2021. On the 2021 list, 9 of the 20 cities are considered suburbs of Detroit. They include: Gross Ile Township #3 Oakland Township #4 Huntington Woods #9 South Lyon #13 Addison Township #16 Highland Township #17 Rochester #18 Berkley #19 Brandon Township…

Continue reading
how-alarm-monitoring-works-hero-min

Alarm Monitoring Services: How They Work

An ear-piercing siren and flashing strobe lights create an immediate sense of emergency and indicate an alarm of some sort has been triggered. Now that the alarm has been triggered and the warning sirens have sounded, what happens next? If you have a monitored security system, it won’t just be the neighbors or passerby alerted to…

Continue reading
fire-alarm-system-zones-hero-min

What Are Fire Alarm System Zones?

Fire alarm zones are standard in conventional fire panels. Each zone represents a different area in the building to help firefighters and professionals pinpoint the source of an alarm. However, it can be confusing to research fire alarm zones because they are not as common as they once were. Conventional and addressable systems handle communication for fire…

Continue reading
Hero-fireclass-min

What Are the 5 Classes of Fires?

While it can be hard to tell the difference at first glance, different types of fires occur based on the materials that fuel them. Just as you wouldn’t try to put out a grease fire with water, specific ways to extinguish each fire class exist and depend on what sustains it. Some atypical classes of…

Continue reading
Hero-smarthome-min

4 Questions & Answers about Smart Home Devices

Smart Home Technology Let’s face it; we are in love with our smartphones. According to Pew Research Center, more than 81% of Americans now own one; that is up from just 35% in 2011. With so much power in the palm of our hand, it’s not surprising that we want to use our smartphone for…

Continue reading
Hero-egress

Emergency Egress 101 for Commercial Buildings

When people think about emergency egress, they usually picture exit signs and the nearest door. In reality, egress is the entire route occupants rely on to get out quickly and safely—often under heightened stress, reduced visibility, and crowded conditions. When a means of egress isn’t clear or usable, even a minor emergency can turn into…

Continue reading
woman-entering-alarm-code-min

5 Reasons Why You Need a Home Security System

A home security system protects your home and the ones you love. While there are many reasons you may need to invest in a home security system, we have highlighted some key ones: 1. Peace of Mind Have you heard a noise in the night and ever wondered what made the noise? A home security…

Continue reading
diy-system-fail-hero

5 Ways Your DIY Security System is Failing You

In the digital age, DIY projects are the rage in all things, including home security. People turn to DIY home security because it seems easy and can save you a few bucks. Unfortunately, you really do get what you pay for if you choose a DIY security system. Whether you are a homeowner, a business owner, or…

Continue reading
24h emergency
Secure My Space