COVINGTON, Ky. — Local company Safewave Technology has designed a smartwatch for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing in case of emergencies.

What You Need To Know

  • Trevon Bruch and Brad Harold developed a smartwatch for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community in case of emergencies

  • Users can link devices such as fire alarms, smoke detectors and doorbells  

  • About 3.6% of the U.S. population consider themselves to be deaf or hard-of-hearing 

In a little office on Pike Street in Covington, co-founders Trevon Bruch and Brad Harold work long days finding new ways to advance their devices.

One night in 2018, Bruch’s fire alarm woke him up, forcing him to rush to safety. He said it made him think of those who can’t rely on hearing alarms.

“If there’s an emergency at the home or emergency at the workplace, no matter where they’re at, we want to make sure that they’re able to return to their families the same that they arrived at work,” Harold said. 

Bruch and Harold founded Safewave in 2017, working to enhance the Deaf community’s quality of life.

“(The) Safewave app is very simple to use,” Bruch said as he demonstrated the watch. “All you have to do is download it ... open the app. Once the app is open, all you do is hit the bluetooth button. It’ll scan for a band, a pop-up.”

From there, users can link other devices and apps, including fire alarms and smoke detectors. In case of emergencies, the watch band will alert the user with a powerful vibration.

According to the National Deaf Center, nearly 4% of the U.S. consider themselves to be deaf or hard-of-hearing, about 11 million people. Bruch said it’s time for technology to be more inclusive.

“Inclusivity matters for the simple fact that it’s bigger than money,” Bruch said. “It’s about people, right?”

“I think Safewave is on that path to build technology that matters to people.”

The watch costs $250 and can only be purchased through Safewave’s website.

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