Red Cross volunteer, Paige Singer, discusses with Joey and his mother Legalo the best places to install smoke detectors in Joey’s apartment.
By Lori Baker, Communications Volunteer
The American Red Cross responds to a disaster every eight minutes, with most responses being home fires, which are also the nation’s most common and deadly disaster.
People who are deaf or hard of hearing are particularly vulnerable because they may not be able to hear the sound of a traditional smoke alarm. Delayed notification reduces the chances of getting out of a burning home quickly and safely.
That’s why the Red Cross, Arizona Burn Foundation and other community groups install free assistive smoke alarm equipment designed to alert individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing in the event of a fire.
Arizona State Sun Devils Offensive Lineman (#54) Joey Su’a can rest easier knowing he will be alerted about a home fire with a bed-shaker smoke alarm system installed recently by a Red Cross volunteer. Joey lost his hearing at age 2 when he spent 54 days in the hospital battling streptococcal meningitis. He has a complete loss of hearing in his left ear and partial loss in his right ear. He communicates using a cochlear implant and hearing aid.
Having picked the right spots for the smoke detectors, Paige explains to Joey how the bed-shaker unit acts as Joey’s ears at night. It will hear smoke alarms going off and activate to wake up Joey in the event of a fire emergency.
The bed shaker uses a vibrating pad placed under a mattress or pillow, and is activated when an accompanying traditional smoke alarm sounds. The bed shaker can also be used as an alarm clock, which helps users learn to wake up from the vibrations.
Joey is sharing his story to help raise awareness about the critical importance of adapting home safety measures for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing community. Traditional smoke alarms rely only on sound — someone with hearing loss may not hear them.
“Joey’s journey — particularly his hearing loss, resilience in athletics, and commitment to giving back — became a powerful motivation to serve the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing community,” Legalo said.
Red Cross services, such as smoke alarm installations, are free of charge thanks to generous partners. Besides the bed-shaker, flashing lights are also available for the accessible smoke alarms.
Anyone who needs smoke alarms can make a request at and a Red Cross representative will contact them to schedule free installation as part of the Sound the Alarm campaign. Go to redcross.org/aznm for more information.
Installing these specialized detectors helps ensure equity in home safety, reduces the risk of fatality or injury in homes of Deaf and Hard of Hearing people, and gives greater peace of mind for them and their families.
To help the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing community, Joey and his mother, Legalo Faaifo-Sua, founded the nonprofit, I AM Hear Foundation in 2024.
“Through the Foundation (and in partnership with other organizations), we promote and support installation of specialized smoke alarms that include visual alerts (strobes) and/or tactile alerts (bed-shakers) so that Deaf/Hard-of‐Hearing individuals have equitable safety,” Legalo said.
For more information, go to iamhearfoundation.com.
ASU football player Joey Su’a and his mother Legalo continue to share Joey’s story and inspire others through their work with the I AM Hear Foundation.
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