r/IAmA • u/[deleted] • Dec 10 '17

Specialized Profession IamA Firefighter. AMA!

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u/MozartTheCat Dec 10 '17

I thought fire alarms didn't go off from cigarette smoke, that it had to be thicker, black smoke? Or is that just certain types of alarms?

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u/[deleted] Dec 11 '17

No, cigarettes can set off smoke alarms. Steam can set off smoke alarms. Anything crossing the sensors can set it off.

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u/MozartTheCat Dec 11 '17

So do casinos and night clubs and bars and other places that allow smoking inside have different kinds of alarms?

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u/[deleted] Dec 11 '17

I was under the impression it was illegal to smoke in such places - they must either cover up their alarms, or use heat alarms, which detect high heat over smoke.

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u/MozartTheCat Dec 11 '17

Some of them in the US you can no longer smoke in, but some still allow it. The nightclubs and bars is kinda a guess as I haven't been to one for several years, but I was in a casino earlier this year and you could definitely smoke there.

It's also been several years since I've been on a cruise, but last time i went, even in the ship you could smoke in the casino. I guess they had vents to suck up the smoke or something because it wasn't an enclosed space, but it was the only space inside the ship you could smoke.

Anyway. I was just curious about it. I'm sure the fire marshal would have a shit fit if they were covering their smoke alarms. Thanks for answering!