New smoke alarm texts horse owners in case of fire

A smoke alarm has been launched that can alert horse owners to a fire in their stables by text as well as via an audible alarm.

Firetext is a standalone, battery-operated smoke alarm that texts up to four individual mobile phone numbers in case of fire. It is being marketed to horse owners who animals are kept in stables not near their own home.

Firetext inventor Matthew Newman was inspired when he was fitting a smoke alarm in his new house and realised the detector could not be heard from the end of the garden.

“I have always had a fear of returning to my house after a holiday and it having burnt down without us knowing anything about it,” says Mr Newman, also director of Emergency Life Systems.

“It is the perfect product for horse owners who have concerns about fires in their stables and not finding out until it is too late.”

Firetext is the only smoke detector with a text messaging service on the market. It was one of five finalists in the Inventor of the Year competition at this year’s Ideal Home Show. It has undergone trials at the Hertfordshire Fire Authority.

Firetext is available online from www.firetext.me, costing £89.99. The service costs roughly £1 per month, 7p-20p per text.

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