Which smoke alarm is best in the kitchen?

Smoke alarms in kitchens are often set off by ordinary cooking activities.  These nuisance alarms are not only annoying - they can be dangerous.  Some people get tired of the "false" alarms and disconnect the unit.  There is an on-going debate in the fire service about which type of alarm, photoelectric or ionization gives the fewest nuisance alarms. 

As the Office of the Fire Marshall in Ontario (OFM) discovered - there is no simple answer to the question of which alarm is best in kitchens.  Researchers at OFM explored what the applicable standards require, information from industry sources and the results of independent smoke alarm testing.  The OFM report is valuable reading for all fire departments.  Their findings are presented in a clear and concise format that will help fire fighters answer questions from the public about which alarm they should use in their kitchen. 

Thanks to the Ontario Fire Marshall you can download a copy of the report at the OFC web site.