By Angy Steiner, Sales Director at Resideo

A new generation of residential smoke, combo, and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms are entering the market—developed for today’s residential construction, retrofit and property management needs. The BRK® family of next generation Smoke, Combo and CO Alarms represent a comprehensive, ground-up redesign, delivering innovation that aligns life-safety devices with the realities of modern residential construction.

For contractors and installers, meeting code requirements consistently and at scale while maintaining installation efficiency is a constant priority. Inspections, turnover timelines and ongoing maintenance cycles all depend on having alarm systems that can be installed correctly, replaced quickly and kept compliant across different residential environments— from single-family homes to large multifamily properties.

Built for code-driven coverage

A core challenge for residential construction professionals is specifying the right number and type of alarms to meet code requirements across varied layouts and property types. A simplified lineup enables faster, more confident specification by making it easier to select the right devices, standardize installs and keep projects compliant. To support that level of consistency in the field, the lineup includes wired, battery-powered and combination units, enabling professionals to match the appropriate configuration to each application and help speed up quoting and installation while on the job.

This becomes even more important as residential construction continues to evolve. Larger homes, open floor plans and increasingly complex mechanical systems require thoughtful placement of life safety devices to perform reliably across a wide range of building types.

Faster, simpler installation

With installation speed top of mind, small design improvements can make a meaningful difference across large residential projects.

The next generation platform introduces mounting bases designed to support both wired and battery-only models, and wiring connectors and mounting systems help ensure secure installation while maintaining familiar practices electricians already rely on. These workflow improvements may seem incremental, but across large housing developments or multifamily projects, they can help reduce installation time and unnecessary callbacks.

While new construction drives innovation, many installations still occur during replacement cycles in existing homes.

The new BRK alarms are designed to replace select older BRK and First Alert alarm installations without additional adapters or significant rewiring. This backwards compatibility allows contractors and maintenance teams to upgrade existing properties efficiently.

Ease of use for homeowners

Traditional alarms often rely on chirp patterns or blinking lights that can be difficult for homeowners to interpret. New designs address this through LED indicators that provide clear visual feedback for alarm status, battery levels and end-of-life notifications.

The alarms also provide SoftCue™ pre-alert notifications that signal a low battery before it becomes critical, helping homeowners address maintenance needs before disruptive late- night alerts occur. This patented feature not only eliminates disruptive middle‑of‑the‑night chirping but also provides three to five days before the alarm needs attention. This clear line of communication can help reduce service calls related to misunderstood alerts while supporting more consistent maintenance practices that help keep properties up to code.

Paired with a consistent design across Resideo’s family of brands—including Honeywell Home smart home products—and compatibility with BRK® SC5 Smart Smoke & CO Alarm systems, the new alarms deliver a cleaner, more unified smart home experience, transforming traditional alarms into a connected safety network. With built-in wireless interconnect, alarms communicate across the home for fast, coordinated alerts and whole-home awareness. Home safety systems are becoming smart, connected and intuitive, and this platform brings alarm technology up to speed.

Designed for modern interiors

Function will always be the top priority, but design considerations for smoke alarms are evolving.

The new BRK alarm family introduces a simplified design intended to blend naturally into ceilings while maintaining clearly identifiable interaction points for notifications, testing and silencing. An optional trim ring can also help cover paint marks or surface discoloration left behind when replacing older or larger alarm models, allowing installers to leave a clean finished appearance during retrofit projects.

These next generation alarms also retain features homeowners have consistently valued. A side-access battery drawer, for example, allows AA batteries to be replaced without removing the alarm from the ceiling.

These types of usability improvements ultimately support the same goal professionals are working toward on every project: making sure alarms are installed correctly, maintained consistently and remain compliant over time.

Putting the need into perspective, data from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reinforces what’s at stake. U.S. fire departments responded to more than 328,000 residential fires each year from 2019 to 2023, resulting in thousands of injuries and billions of dollars in property damage. Additionally, three out of five home fire deaths occur in homes with either no smoke alarms or alarms that fail to operate, while the death rate per 1,000 reported homes is cut roughly in half in homes with working smoke alarms. These statistics highlight the importance of rapid detection and underscore the need for professionals to specify and install systems that can be trusted to perform reliably across residential settings.

Built for the long-term

BRK Smoke, Combo and CO Alarms are built to deliver reliable detection for up to 10 years, and this platform was engineered with a strong focus on long-term reliability, intuitive usability and simplified maintenance to help deliver dependable performance homeowners can count on. Manufacturing consistency and supply chain reliability also play a role in helping contractors plan installations and maintain compliance—factors that have become increasingly important across the industry.

The BRK alarm portfolio reflects this shift, combining updated UL 217 10th edition detection capabilities with improvements that support installation workflows, ongoing maintenance and consistent code compliance. As residential design and technology continue to evolve, so will expectations for life-safety devices—making thoughtfully designed alarm platforms an increasingly important part of modern home construction.

For more information about the new BRK alarm product line, including smoke, combo and CO alarm models, visit brkelectronics.com.