October 6, 2026 — Consumers are advised to review safety information regarding the First Alert SMCO210V combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms after an incident report detailed two separate units from the same purchase repeatedly issuing false fire alarms. The incidents, occurring approximately a month apart, involved alarms that activated without any detectable fire, smoke, or carbon monoxide, raising significant safety concerns about reliability and the potential for real emergencies to be disregarded.
Product Details
Incident Overview
An incident report filed on September 17, 2026, details a concerning issue involving two First Alert SMCO210V combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. The alarms were purchased together as a two-pack from Home Depot and both carried a manufacturing date of July 11, 2024. The alarms were installed and used as residential smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, as intended by the manufacturer.
The first incident occurred in 2025 when the first alarm unit began repeatedly activating with a fire alarm signal, despite no apparent fire or smoke being present. This false alarm occurred at least twice, and possibly three times, with incidents spaced several days apart. Following one of these activations, emergency services or DTE Energy personnel investigated the situation, confirming the absence of carbon monoxide and any visible signs of fire, smoke, or unusual smells.
Approximately one month after the first alarm’s issues, the second alarm from the same two-pack experienced a nearly identical problem. It activated a fire alarm in the middle of the night. At the time of this incident, no one was in the downstairs area where the alarm was located, and no appliances or other potential sources of smoke or fumes were in operation. As with the first unit, there was no apparent fire, smoke, unusual smell, or any other obvious explanation for the alarm’s activation.
Fortunately, no injuries resulted from either incident. However, the consumer expressed significant concern regarding the safety implications of smoke alarms repeatedly issuing false fire alarms, particularly the risk that such occurrences could lead occupants to disregard a genuine emergency in the future due to desensitization or distrust of the alarm system. Both affected alarms are still in the possession of the reporting consumer.
Safety Concerns
The repeated activation of false fire alarms by safety devices like the First Alert SMCO210V combination unit presents several critical safety concerns:
- Immediate Dangers: False alarms can cause unnecessary panic, disrupt sleep, and lead to potentially dangerous responses such as evacuating a building without a real threat. It can also lead to unnecessary dispatch of emergency services, diverting critical resources from genuine emergencies.
- Long-Term Risks (Alarm Fatigue): Perhaps the most significant risk is “alarm fatigue.” When safety alarms frequently sound without a legitimate threat, occupants may begin to dismiss them as unreliable. This desensitization could prove catastrophic, leading individuals to ignore or delay response to a *real* fire or carbon monoxide emergency, potentially resulting in severe injury or fatality.
- Who Might Be Affected: Residents, particularly children, the elderly, or those with mobility issues, could be severely impacted by the confusion and stress of repeated false alarms, or worse, by ignoring a legitimate alarm. Emergency responders are also affected by unnecessary dispatches.
- Property Damage Potential: While false alarms themselves don’t cause property damage, the resulting distrust in the alarm system significantly increases the risk of property damage in the event of an actual fire. If a genuine fire alarm is ignored, it allows a fire to grow unchecked, leading to greater destruction.
What Consumers Should Do
If you own a First Alert SMCO210V combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarm, particularly units with a manufacture date around July 11, 2024, or purchased as a two-pack from Home Depot, please take the following actions:
- Do Not Disregard Alarms: Even if you suspect a false alarm, always treat any activation of a smoke or carbon monoxide alarm as a legitimate emergency until proven otherwise.
- Investigate Safely: If an alarm sounds, follow your household’s emergency plan. If you suspect it’s a false alarm, safely investigate the area for any signs of fire, smoke, unusual smells, or CO. If no obvious cause is found, but the alarm persists or recurs, consider the unit potentially faulty.
- Check Your Product: Verify the model number (SMCO210V) and manufacture date on your First Alert combination alarms.
- If Experiencing False Alarms: If your alarm is repeatedly sounding without a clear cause, consider replacing the unit immediately. Do not disable or remove the alarm permanently without installing a working replacement.
- Prevention Measures: Ensure all smoke and CO alarms are tested monthly, and batteries are replaced according to manufacturer recommendations (note: this incident does not appear battery-related, as the units were relatively new). Clean alarms regularly to prevent dust buildup, which can sometimes cause false activations.
- Report Incidents: It is crucial to report any similar incidents involving false alarms or malfunctions to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) at SaferProducts.gov. You should also contact BRK Brands, Inc., the manufacturer, directly to inform them of the issue.
Manufacturer’s Response
No manufacturer response has been provided in the incident report.
Legal Help Available
If you or a loved one has been injured by a defective product or suffered property damage due to a product malfunction, you may be entitled to compensation. The experienced product liability attorneys at Farzan Law understand the complexities of defective product cases and can help you navigate the legal process. Farzan Law is a California based Personal Injury law firm focusing on protecting the rights of those wrongfully injured.
Licensed to practice law ONLY in California.
Contact us today for a free consultation: 424-325-3112
Our legal team has successfully represented clients in product liability cases involving defective appliances, automotive defects, medical devices, and consumer products. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means you don’t pay unless we win your case.
Note: This information is based on incident reports provided by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. If you find information that is incorrect, please contact us immediately so we can correct the post to reflect accurate information.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this post is not intended to be legal or medical advice. This article is based on publicly available incident reports. The incidents mentioned have not necessarily been independently verified or adjudicated.