From the Midwest (i.e. where this IoT writer is currently living) to the East Coast, many U.S. areas are experiencing “an eerie, unhealthy haze,” as The New York Times writes. It’s been roughly three weeks since the Canadian wildfires sparked, with smoke still being propelled by waves of stiff winds.
Now on the one hand, people have looked for silver linings in the initial dyed-red-and-orange skies; many New Yorkers on Twitter, for instance, saw a digital billboard earlier this month for Blizzard Entertainment’s launch of Diablo IV and, well, the ad’s tagline “Welcome to Hell, New York” was a bit too much of an on-the-nose descriptor for the state of the city at the time. (An unintentional marketing spot for Blizzard; not quite a gaffe, but also not something to celebrate in light of the reasons why the skies have been so dismal.)
But on the other hand, mild jokes be damned (though not damned in a Diablo sense), it’s been clear that the broader air quality situation for these regions has been anything but clear. Air quality index services and data from sites like AirNow, IQAir, AirVisual and AccuWeather have seen major spikes in usage due to the ongoing fires. Just earlier this morning, Washington D.C. issued a Code Red air quality alert due to the density of the smoke itself. People are concerned, and for good reason.
This all said, if there was, indeed, a realistic silver lining to be found in the wake of this news, it could pertain to a collectively raised awareness when it comes to monitoring our air quality properly. Staying privy to that is now a top-of-mind thing for many.
Speaking of health and safety – plus indoor air quality (IAQ) issues – Kidde, one of North America’s more well-known safety brands, has introduced new HomeSafe-enabled devices to the already comprehensive suite of home-integrated products it offers. By connecting the Kidde mobile app to your home environment, these additional smart detection products are able to provide instant alerts and customized notifications for home safety threats, such as smoke, IAQ and carbon monoxide (CO) problems.
In addition to Kidde’s existing Smoke + Carbon Monoxide Alarm with IAQ Monitor, its Water Leak + Freeze Detector and the more common Smoke + CO Alarm, Kidde’s new offerings include:
- Carbon Monoxide Alarm + IAQ Monitor, described by Kidde as “the industry’s first plug-in device to combine CO detection with precise IAQ monitoring.”
- Smoke Alarm + IAQ Monitor, which also detects relative humidity and Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOC), a.k.a. harmful airborne chemicals.
- Smoke Alarm with Smart Features, which provides real-time updates and additional sensing capability, and is compatible with Google Home and Amazon Alexa.
Per Isis Wu, Senior Vice President of Residential Fire Safety and Healthy Homes, Carrier Global Corporation (of which Kidde is part):
“Continued expansion of Kidde's HomeSafe enabled suite of smart connected devices reinforces our commitment to providing a smarter approach to home safety. A smart home is a safe home, and Kidde's three new HomeSafe enabled devices provide homeowners confidence and control, so the people, places and things that matter most are always protected.”
As responders continue to assess and quell the wildfire situation in Canada (and how it has affected the U.S.), safety-conscious brands like Kidde are expanding safety product suites for those in need.
Edited by
Greg Tavarez
