It’s a fact: smoke kills more people in residential fires than flames. Of the more than 414,000 residential fires in the US last year that caused nearly 3,000 fatalities and 14,000 injuries, most occurred when residents were sleeping - between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m.

The poisonous gases emitted by a fire can actually put people into a deeper sleep and may suffocate them before they ever wake up and become aware of a fire.

Helping impede smoke from entering a bedroom, thereby providing occupants with more time to escape, is the goal of a revolutionary new lifesaving device called The SMOKESTOPPER®.

“Over my 20-year career in emergency services, I’ve learned one important fact… having a few extra seconds can often mean the difference between life and death in a residential fire,” said Peter Kuppler, veteran Fire Chief and President of Kuppler Technologies, LLC. “I was convinced there was a way to provide people with an additional layer of protection – a device that would inhibit smoke from entering occupied rooms and increase loved ones’ chances of escaping serious injury or death. That is why I invented The SMOKESTOPPER.”

The SMOKESTOPPER attaches under most standard interior doors and inhibits smoke intrusion with its patent-pending front flap and three smoke chambers. Manufactured from high-grade self-extinguishing polyvinyl chloride (PVC), this first of its kind device has a long front flap that creates a barrier to bridge the gap between the bottom of the door and the floor.

If smoke should possibly breach this front flap, it would then have to fill three smoke inhibiti ng chambers one at a time before making it into a room - thereby effectively delaying smoke intrusion and providing the occupant with additional escape or rescue time.

The heavy, blinding smoke that The SMOKESTOPPER blocks from entering bedrooms, also complicates firefighters’ rescue efforts, making it difficult to see doors and determine which rooms need to be searched.

The SMOKESTOPPER features a highly reflective strip along the entire length of its outward face to help prioritize rescue operations. The strip shines brightly when the light from a firefighter’s flashlight comes in contact with it, drawing immediate attention.

“Thick smoke and limited familiarity with a home’s layout can delay firefighters’ rescue efforts,” added former Chief Kuppler. “Firefighters are trained to look for evidence of an occupied room and The SMOKESTOPPER’s long reflective strip helps them quickly and effectively identify which rooms need to be checked first.”

The SMOKESTOPPER, which works with all types of floor coverings, and is easily adjusted and detached as needed, has a suggested retail price of $29.95 and can be ordered online at www.thesmokestopper.com, or by calling 1-877-587-7537.