ELSMERE, Ky. --
An Elsmere man escaped a fire in his home early Friday, thanks to a special smoke detector.
Firefighters said they arrived at the Hawk Drive home just before 6:30 a.m. to find most of the trailer fully engulfed in flames.
The Elsmere fire chief said the man living in the home, John Lastfogel, 64, is deaf, but was alerted to the fire by a smoke detector designed to alert hearing-impaired people -- one the fire department has installed.
"At the end of the fire, we were wrapping things up, the homeowner came to us and thanked us for putting in a smoke detector," assistant chief Tim Sheehan said.
The Silent Call smoke alarm activated a device under Lastfogel's pillow, causing a vibration that woke him and alerted himto the danger. The device also flashes a strobe light as a visual warning.
Firefighter Jeremy Sheehan recalled installing the Silent Call at no cost in the trailer nearly two years ago.
"Honestly, it's very, very much satisfaction," he said.
Lastfogel singed some hair getting two dogs from the home but was otherwise unharmed.
"It's not just about us showing up to put out fires, but it's about educating the community about fire safety in their own residence," Tim Sheehan said.
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