David Aydelotte, who is hearing impaired, said, “I seen the light flashing in the bedroom, nothing was flashing in the hall way.”

David says he was cooking steak in the kitchen when a simple oversight almost turned into a nightmare. A nightmare he and his wife Pauline were oblivious too.

David continued, “I`d taken the steak off and set it on the plate and walked off, forgetting I had the burner still on and pot on the burner.”

By the time he saw the strobe light in his bedroom the smoke started to rise, only then did David know to run his burning pan outside.

David added that he “Opened all the doors and let the smoke out so no one would see.”

Mike Weller of the Hagerstown Fire Department said, “Deaf or hard of hearing people represent a special challenge for fire fighters.”

David’s wife Pauline, who is also hearing impaired, said, “I wanted to find a better system with better technology for the future.”

But it`s that system that actually found them through a federal grant. And now thanks to the Hagerstown Fire Department, it`s keeping them safe.

Weller said, “Everyone who has learned that we have this program available has been very pleased.”

The grant means 25 special smoke detectors will be in the homes of the hearing impaired, even if they are not totally deaf. These alarms are 20% louder, and brighter than most hearing impaired alarms on the market.

“They will need that extra power of a louder beep and also the visual it has a real powerful strobe light, that will not only audibly alert you, but visually let you know the fire is happening," added Weller.

Now that their fire fears have been extinguished, David is back in the kitchen - but not on the back burner…

David added, “I don`t use the stove anymore, I use the deep fryer!”

And Pauline said, “I love his cooking, I love it!”

Older people who may be hard of hearing are also encouraged to call the fire department for their own system. If you are interested in one of the free smoke alarms, contact Mike Weller at 301-739-8577 ext.415. Or, you can e-mail Mike at MWeller@hagerstownmd.org, and he will call you back on TTY.

From NBC News