The tragic electrical fire that took the lives of seven frum family members in Flatbush still bears down heavily on our consciousness. We think of our own Shabbos kitchen setup – hot plate, water urn, crock pot – all running for a full 24 hours. Come Yom Tov, these hi-voltage, high-heat appliances can run for 2 or 3 days straight. Is it safe?

Zman Technologies, the company that has set its mission to harness technology for the benefit of the contemporary Halacha-observant lifestyle, has come up with a powerful innovation to help mitigate the inherent risks of such appliances. The TFCI Fire-Prevention outlet, developed in conjunction with BSafe Electrix™, is designed to sense abnormal temperatures in electrical wiring devices, and will immediately cut off the electric supply to the outlet, stopping the potential for catastrophic fires before it even starts.

Much like to the now-mandated GFI outlets most of us have in our kitchens, which immediately deactivate upon detecting a potential for electric shock, the TFCI technology does the same in cases of heat buildup with the potential for an electrical fire.

The product made its debut on Sunday June 7, at a community Fire Safety and Home Protection Event, held in Boro Park, where over 1000 TFCI wall outlets were distributed free, courtesy of Zman Technologies. At the event, Steven Comer of the FDNY underscored the inherent dangers in the use of hot plates and other kitchen appliances which, he said “were not ideally designed for 24-hour continuous use.”

William Thea of Zman Technologies described the TFCI outlet as a breakthrough development for our community.  “Thermal outlets are the first of their kind. The product is UL listed and patented as the only product designed to protect residents from electrical fires do to overheating caused by things like defective or misused appliances, circuit overloads, damaged or underrated wiring, extension cords, etc.

Organizers of the Fire Safety Event hailed the product as a vital fire-prevention tool that should be installed in all kitchens, particularly in frum homes.

Best of all, the product is inexpensive, simple to install and inconspicuous, looking almost identical to any standard wall outlet. The product is currently available for purchase at The Buzz stores in Brooklyn, as well as online, directly from the Zman website, at www.zmantechnologies.com.