Frequently Asked Questions

Email: CustomerCare@FireEar.com

Phone: 1-888-472-1080 and press 2 for customer support

QUESTIONS:

1) How does the FireEar Notification System work?

2) How much does it cost?

3) How many FireEar monitors can I install in my home?

4) What do I do to set up the system after I purchase it?

5) Is the system available outside of the USA?

6) How much money will I save on my homeowner's insurance using FireEar?

7) Can the FireEar monitor listen to people in the room?

8) Does the FireEar monitor record sound?

ANSWERS:

1. How does the FireEar Notification System work?
The following provides an overview of the FireEar Notification System. We offer two different types of service:

Standard Service

For $39.99 a year (equivalent to $3.33 per month), our Standard Service will send you alerts at up to two mobile phone numbers by calling and sending a text message. You will also receive an email alert at up to two email addresses. When our system calls or emails you, you will be able to hear the sound track of your smoke detector activating for 10 seconds so you can verify the authenticity of the alert.

1. Step 1. The FireEar Monitor hears your existing smoke detector activating for 30 seconds. It also reports when the power is out for 60 minutes or when the indoor temperature of your home goes below 40°F.
2. Step 2. The FireEar Monitor calls our Service Center using our toll-free number; 10 seconds of sound are captured.
3. Step 3. Our Service Center alerts you and a friend by text messaging, calling and emailing the alert information and verification sound track.

Professional Monitoring Service

We recommend that you purchase our Professional Monitoring Service for $79.99 a year (equivalent to $6.67 per month). Our Professional Monitoring Service includes all the benefits of our Standard Service, plus we will also automatically contact the Fire Department in case of a fire, thus providing an added level of protection for your home against total loss due to fire. It is this Professional Monitoring that insurance companies require for a discount on your policy. We will email you an Annual Insurance Certificate that you can send to your insurance agent to claim a discount of up to 11% on your homeowner's insurance.

1. Step 1. The FireEar Monitor hears your existing smoke detector activating for about 30 seconds. It also reports when the power is out for 60 minutes or when the indoor temperature of your home goes below 40 °F.
2. Step 2. The FireEar Monitor calls our Service Center using our toll-free number; 10 seconds of sound are captured.
3. Step 3. Our Service Center alerts you and a friend by text messaging, calling and emailing the alert information and verification sound track.
4. Step 4. With Professional Monitoring, the alert is also forwarded to our Professional Monitoring Center, which calls your home to verify that the alert is not false, and then contacts your local Fire Department.

2. How much does it cost?
To set up the system, you need to purchase the FireEar Monitor and then subscribe to one of our annual services. The FireEar Monitor can be purchased from FireEar on this website and the annual service is $39.99 for the Standard Service, or $79.99 for the Professional Monitoring Service. Please see our How to Buy page where you can find out more details.

3. How many FireEar Monitors can I install in my home?
The FE-1100 Monitor is able to hear a smoke detector in the same room or a room adjacent to where it is located. If your location has carpets or closed doors, then this distance can be reduced. For a typical small to medium sized home, where you have smoke detectors only in and around the bedroom areas, you typically will not need more than one or two FireEar Monitors. However, for large homes, or some small businesses, it may be necessary to install more Monitors to ensure that you have the best coverage possible. You can install as many as you wish, but bear in mind that each service account can support up to three registered FireEar Monitors. In addition, we recommend that no more than 3 Monitors be hooked up to a single phone line. If you have any questions about this topic, please call FireEar customer care at 1-888-472-1080 and our service representatives will be happy to assist you.

4. What do I do to set up the system after I purchase it?
Go to our Registration page and within a few minutes you can register your FireEar Monitor and create your account. Your credit card will be charged for a full year of service. In some cases, your first year may have been included when you purchased your monitor and therefore you will be charged only at the end of the 12 month period when your service comes due for renewal.

5. Is the system available outside of the continental USA?
At this time, we support all states in the United States of America. We do expect to add Canada, Mexico and other nations in the future.

6. How much money will I save on my homeowner's insurance by using FireEar?
Please click on the insurance saving estimator button below to find out. You can also learn more about how to save on your homeowner's insurance by clicking here. Please note that this tool provides only an estimate and you should contact your insurance agent to learn about your specific savings for your home.

7. Can the FireEar monitor listen to people in the room?
The FireEar Monitor is designed to strictly recognize the distinctive sound of a smoke detector compliant to the UL 217 standard. It does not listen to people or to any other sound. Instead, it tries to recognize the unique high pitch, steady tone and beeping cadence that is typical of a smoke detector. Once the Monitor has recognized this unique sound for several tens of a second, it will conclude that the smoke alarm is going off, at which point it will contact our central Service Center via the phone line to indicate a fire alert at your location.

8. Does the FireEar monitor record sound?
The FireEar Monitor does not record sounds in the room. As described in the previous question above, it simply tries to identify the sound of the smoke detector, based on a number of characteristics considered unique to a smoke detector alarm. During a smoke alarm, and while the FireEar Monitor is connected to the FireEar Service Center, the Service Center creates a 10 second verification sound track that is forwarded with the alert notification to the customer and an optional second individual. The purpose of this verification sound track is to allow the customer to verify that the fire alert was activated by the smoke detector at the location.