Disabled and Special Needs Services

Adaptive Smoke Alarms

For more information about adaptive smoke alarms for those with special needs, including talking, strobe (up to 177 candela), vibrating and amplified (up to 90 dB) smoke alarm products:

BRK Brands: www.brkelectronics.com or 1.800.323.9005

First Alert: www.firstalert.com or 1.800.323.9005

Gentex: www.gentex.com or 1.800.436.8391

Home Depot Supply: www.hdsupply.com

Kidde: www.kiddeus.com or 1.800.880.6788

MaxiAids: www.maxiaids.com
Provides a variety of products for special needs

Adaptive Telephone Equipment

For more information about adaptive telephones, including equipment and services to individuals with functional limitations of hearing, vision, mobility, speech and/or interpretation of information, contact:

California Telephone Access Program: www.ddtp.org, or call

English: 1.800.806.1191 or English TTY 1.800.806.4474

Spanish: 1.800.949.5650 or Spanish TTY 1.800.896.7670

Hmong: 1.866.880.3394

Cantonese: 1.866.324.8754

Mandarin: 1.866.324.8747

Emergency Preparedness

To be prepared as a community, we all must do our part to plan for disasters. All individuals, with or without disabilities, can decrease the impact of a disaster by taking steps to prepare before an event occurs. For useful tips and resources on how to prepare for disasters, please visit the following resources:

National Organization on Disability: www.nod.org

Prepare Now: www.preparenow.org

American Red Cross: www.redcross.org

Bay Area American Red Cross:
www.paarc.org (Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Palo Alto)
www.scv-redcross.org (the rest of Santa Clara county)

Fire Safety

More than 3,000 Americans die each year in fires. The Santa Clara County Fire Department encourages you to help protect yourself and your family from the dangers of fire by following this safety checklist.

Special Considerations for
People with Special Needs

Depending on physical limitations, assistance may be needed from a family member, caregiver or neighbor to prepare for emergencies. Decreased mobility, health, sight and hearing may limit the ability to take the quick action necessary to escape during a fire, so planning ahead is vital to staying safe.

Be Prepared & Create a Home Escape Plan

In the event of fire, every second counts! Make and practice a home escape plan. Talk with your family members, building manager, or neighbors about your fire safety plan and practice it.

Arrange to have a first floor unit or bedroom if you live in an apartment building or multi-story home.
Make sure that your house number is clearly visible from the street using at least 4" (10cm) high numbers.
Maintain at least two exits from every room and know how to open locked or barred doors and windows.
Contact your local fire department. Most fire departments will provide a courtesy home inspection, review your escape plan, install smoke alarms and assist with locating home safety modification services if they are needed.
If you encounter smoke, stay near the ground or crawl low to exit. Once out, stay out and call 911 from a neighbor's house. If you are trapped, close door between you and the fire. Fill gaps around the door to keep smoke out and signal out the window using a blanket or sheet.
Use stairs to evacuate. Never use an elevator during a fire unless instructed by the fire department. If necessary, install a ramp in place of stairs for emergency exits.

Install & Maintain Smoke Alarms

Most fatal fires occur at night when people are asleep. Working smoke alarms increase your chances of surviving a fire by 50%.

Install smoke alarms in all bedrooms and on each level of your home.
Test smoke alarms monthly. For hard to reach units, use a broom handle or stick to press the test button.
Replace batteries once a year. Use daylight savings time as a reminder, "change your clocks… change your batteries."
Replace smoke alarms every 10 years. Smoke alarms more than 10 years old have a failure rate of 30-50%.
If you are hearing impaired, install smoke alarms that have the vibrating feature or strobe light. For more information about specialized smoke alarms, contact your local fire department.