welcome to assignment 7. today on our program... new standards for smoke detectorers. is your alarm out of date? could this device be the key to better sleep and a better relationship? >> when i heard these were closing, i had to see all these places. >> pictures of our state park system, a photographer documents what we're about to lose. we begin with a "7 on your side" report, precious seconds can go save lives in a fire and the smoke alarm in your home may not meet standards. we put four alarms to the test. >> palo alto's acting fire

marshal tests the fire alarms he'll be using in a demonstration. they have been set up inside the palo alto fire department training center. >> 80% of the smoke alarms are ionization. >> they have smoke with an electric current. some believe they are overly sensitive and too slow to detect smoke. some cities have already moved to phase them out. last year the city of albany became the first in the country to adopt a new policy. >> all ionization smoke alarms in the city and replace them. >> they are known for their nuisance alarms as they often go off when people cook. >> a lot of people end up taking the batteries out and they have no protection at all. >> we asked the fire department to put various alarms to the

test. photoelectric alarms use a beam of light to detect smoke. ionization use an electric current. microprocessor combine elements of both, using computer technology and the dual center is photoelectric and ionization in the single unit, use a barbecue fire starter, they create smoke. it took less than 30 seconds for the first alarm to go off. >> you can started seeing the smoke coming out of here, first alarm activated right there. dual sensor was the first one that was activated. you have the best range of detection. that is best protection for your family is a dual sensor alarm. >> it wasn't long after that the microprocessor alarm sounded. >> there are two smoke alarms that have gone off so far.

>> they sounded simultaneously than a minute later. firefighters conducted a second demonstration using a slow, simmering fire. >> they willing off sooner. now we've got the photo ionization alarm going off now. >> the photo electric and dual alarm went off simultaneously. seven minutes later the other alarms had yet to go off. >> it demonstrated here that this type of slow growing fire is very challenging for an ionization sensor. ionization technology, now the ionization -- one of them went off. >> the new technology out there and we should get that newist technology into homes. the staff of california academy of sciences try to make

exhibits that are beautiful but no harm to the environment. abc7 was the only television station to go along. heather ishimaru has the new background on the new exhibit. >> the philippines is believed to is most coral reefs on earth, with ten times more species than even the caribbean islands. they took this video of their dive team, finding and documenting life on the coral reef. it includes a wide variety of experts. >> you see something and you take a it.hoto of it. there is an expert that can tell i exactly what it is. >> most of the scientists on the trip is are researchers but three are from the academy of steinhart aquarium. they come armed with buckets and baggies to keep their treasures. they go through a permit process to make sure there is no damage to the reef.

>> we just collected an ur chin. >> pretty and poisons. now you can see it safely behind glass. one so modeled on a reef. that is one reason the academy chose to go to the philippines for the biggest expedition in its history. >> we were able to bring back a lot of animals. >> animals likes these, known as sexy shrimp because the way they seem to dance around and ghost pipe fish, relatives of the sea horse to reflect coral or blades of sea grass. this is a coconut octopus. this one found a glass jar instead. this one is giving the visitors the eye at the aquarium. >> we were the first aquarium in the display in the united states. >> they were the philippines,

rich moss and matt set up a holding for the collection. it's like a cleoz line with creatures hanging in the water. >> it takes a while for what kind of float we could use and there were bottles all over the place. >> a loss of work is focused on coral, the reefs are protected by law and the academy is one of the only institutions allowed to take coral from the philippines of them try to find fragments that broke off naturally or take finger sized clippingss that wouldn't damage the animal. back at the aquarium it's put in a careful area. >> some of the largest over here is prior trips to the philippines, you can see by comparison how the small fragments, a size like this can grow into a colony that is that big around in a period of a year or two. >> the academy will use the coral in the own exhibit and trade it to other aquariums, all

part of their mission to show visitors why the delicate philippines reef habitat is worth saving, heather ishimaru, "abc 7 news." >> its common problem in police work and doctor's office, waiting for test results. a breakthrough at lawrence livermore lab is dramatically cutting time to identify suspects using dna. richard hart discovers the fastest way to detect dna. >> this black box to saved you a trip to the doctor. it's the fastest dna copy machine yet. >> i really thought what if you could it this way. >> when wry find your dna. >> dna is used to identify criminals, yes, but more often pathogens. use how they use it er day. the tests take too long. >> speeds on the order of hours. >> a big bottleneck is

amplification of small samples. you need to make copies first, but the copy machine is called a pcr. they break it up and heats it and cools it again and again. the fastest device takes a half minute each time. this new black box cuts it to less than a second. that is huge. and new material that can heat it and cool it at insane speeds, it can be powered by batteries. >> the hope is that public health labs like this one will be able to use dna to identify hundreds of different pathogens in just a few minutes with a device the size of a shoe box. >> when somebody goes to the doctor's office and they have something serious they can be tested. >> the next step is to turn the development over to a commercial partner to make the new device. with the next step in dna, richard hart. >> still ahead, the device that

promises to help you get more out of bedtime. and what if a photographer is doing to make sure it doesn't happen to dozens of state parks. verizon 4g lte. erica's fastest and most reliable 4g network in over 160 cities. verizon. built so you can rule the air. you can see

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next year, dozens of sfait state parks will be shut down victims of the budget cuts. a san francisco photographer is showing those parks to remind us what we are losing. at the park in marin county, san francisco's photographer so a mission, to take photos of each of the 70 state parks and beaches proposed for closure. >> he hopes to raise awareness of the closure by postings the photos on his website closing california parks.com. they say the closures are necessary to cover the two-year,

$22 million cuts in the state park's budget. the plan was passed in march. the parks are slated to close next july. >> i can't imagine it not being somewhere everyone can come. >> but park officials say they have no choice. these will close until money or resources are found to keep them open. >> how else are you going save $22 million. they have already been cut for the last several years. >> in fact, the state park's budget has been reduced by 44% since 2006. park staffing is currently at 1979 levels but the park system has grown by more than 500,000 acres at 10 million more visitors per year than it had back then. of the 278 parks statewide, 150 had been affected by budget cuts that means fewer rangers, lifeguards and janitors. any restrooms and picnic areas

and parking lots have already been closed. >> some parks, you can close a museum but other parks are going to be more complicated. there is already illegal marijuana growing in state parks. >> the foundation worries what will happen to those closed parks when no one is watching. >> there is going to be vandalism in these places. there is going to be deterioration of the national environment, potential loss of cultural places, historic buildings. >> state park officials are hoping people will fill the financial gap by volunteering or donating to keep the gates and doors open. >> we're hoping to partner in whatever capacity that is to keep them open. >> one of them is the photographer that is hoping that his photos will inspire others. >> whatever it is, this california and it's a shame to see it go.

>> he just hopes those that can save the parks will. >> photos from the parks that are slated for closure, go to abc7news.com and click on the see it on tv button. >> a new device helps people get more rest by analyzing their sleep patterns. the lark is a brainchild of a palo alto entrepreneur. carolyn johnson has more. >> between carrying for his children and running his own business, he often feels a little more than sleep deprived. >> i don't sleep well, i can make it through the nicks day but the day after that is the downward side. >> he has recently begun wearing a device that promises help him get most out of the hours he does get sleeping. >> it shows the level of sleep. >> it's worn on the wrist. as they sleep the sensors record the tiniest motions.

>> lark is a sleep sensor that tracks activity which is signs of using telling you different types of motion and using a lot of algorithms to translate that into sleep patterns. >> the inventor says they can be displayed on a smart phone or computer screen. >> most people don't have any idea how they sleep. it's really amazing the first day they turn off the alarm they get to see how they sleep. you get to see how many times you woke up during the night. how efficient you sleep are and how healthy you are. >> it uses the information from the lark to generate a sleep assessment for users including advice. the lark has helped him better focus on how much sleep he needs

>> something over six gets a good rating. >> the lark currently has an app for the iphone and ipad but a version for the android is going to be available soon. it costs $100. we know parking in san francisco can be difficult. how merchants are putting a positive spin on the most outrageous..., plus. >> and soaring to success. meet the groundbreaking pilot that is inspiring young women. hey! you want that? you want a warm, super-delicious strawberry toaster strudel yeah but now i have nothing to eat sureou do. hey! you can have the pop tart! pillsbury toaster strudel. the one kids want to eat mom, we're dying. no you're not, you're just hungry.

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but only when they are ready to be given. that's why we pick vegetables at their peak. ...and freeze them fast, locking in nutrients ...for you to unwrap. ♪ ho, ho, ho. green giant parking in san francisco can sometimes be a pain and costly. merchants are so fed out up how parking tickets are hurting business they decided to hold a contest. here is jonathan bloom. >> i would not relive it but

here we go. >> the parking tale begins on new year's eve. he was waiting for a spot next to the walgreen's. >> the lady was getting stuff from the walgreen's into her trunk. >> he pulled over in this zone. he waved at the parking officer that drove by and then he parked. >> two months later i get a parking ticket in the mail. i think it must be some kind of mistake. >> but it was no mistake. a $250 ticket for blocking a bus stop. he appealed but they wouldn't budge. >> you shouldn't park in a bus zone at any time. >> he won honorable neongs find the most outrageous parking ticket story. another contestant had two tickets for overstaying a two-hour parking zone. >> i don't know why i got this ticket. >> you moved your car. >> but the mta said he didn't

move it far enough. >> you can't move it across the street or down the block you have to be a complete city block. that is a bit difficult. >> she lost her appeal but she won the grand prize. >> they are going to pay my ticket. >> small business owners say they are move a pliont san francisco's parking enforcement, it's scaring away the customers. >> within five minutes, we get a ticket for $60 or $55 or more. >> grocery store owners say it makes it hard to compete with stores that have parking a lots but they are trying to help small businesses. >> what we see is people sitting in these parking spaces all day long. >> and spokesman paul rose says they have written fewer tickets this year than last. a woman who has become a military role model has new

mission now. she was the first of a have african-american marine combat pilot in history. don sanchez explains, she is using those experiences to inspire others. >> this is the field of operations for bernice right now mentoring young girls. >> getting people not just to be motivated but inspired to take action. >> action was her middle name before this. she was the marine's first african-american combat pilot in history filing a super cobras in iraq. she was coming to the assistance of u.s. troops. >> the target was destroyed and a weapons cashe. >> so was there a challenge? absolutely but even the guys have challenges. >> but being in combat is not a

surprise. she was a motorcycle cop and a professional football player. >> it's about living an exciting juicy and sen life. >> and taking others along with her. why she wants to turn around other people's lives. it's about overcoming obstacles. >> learning to play on football field, you go to the outside and take it to the end zone. wow, i almost missed that block, but you have to stay in the zone when it counts. >> she has written a book, zero to break through, seven steps people can follow to accomplish goals that matter. she admits there were times in combat it was discretionary and using that type of confidence on another battlefield. >> transforms your fears, how can we use it. >> she is now working with veterans helping them find new

jobs and create new businesses. she says there is only one way to succeed and that is the first time or again. in the newsroom, don sanchez, "abc 7 news." >> still ahead, a rescue hospital unique in the bay area. we salute the volunteers who

there are places that are equipped to help song berdz. but there is a hospital to handle feathered emergencies that is run entirely by volunteers. >> these orphan birds were brought into the sonoma county song bird hospital abandoned and hungry. they would have likely died in the wild if they were not cared for here. veronica leads a team have volunteers that spend hours

caring for them for hours. this is the only song bird rescue hospital in northern california. >> my story is i found what i thought was a nest of birds but it was house sparrow that has had fallen off the eve of our house. i brought them to a local rehabilitation center. they were desperate for volunteers. >> 15 years later.... >> we have eight i have a years on the property. >> she has changed it over to a hospital. >> no water birds, just song birds. >> these little birds have big appetites. they need 20 eat every 20 minutes. in fact they will go through 200,000 meal worms a week. >> you get their mouth open and put the food in. >> song birds come here from a variety of places, some have fallen from trees, others have been hit by cars or maybe run into windows. some are prey for other animals.

>> there were 500 plus birds that were hit by a cat. >> the rest are cared for by hand at her home. funding for the hospital comes from the sonoma county wildlife rescue, a nonprofit for wild animals. >> all the song birds, these little birds they get help. >> it relies on the hospital to take care of birds that they can't. >> a lot of animals eat them. so they need a really quiet safe place where they could go. >> it's about to its own nonprofit, separating from the rescue will allow them to do their own fund-raising and to develop more programs to save song birds. >> if i can help undue some of the damage that they are doing out there in the natural world, i feel really, really good about that. >> so we salute veronica bowers

for keeping nature's musicians alive tosmtd make a contribution or if you know one that we should salute. go to our website at abc7news.com. you'll find more information on the stories today. look for assignment 7 on the left side. that is all for this edition. i'm eric thomas. i'm eric thomas. >> alan: flying mud and debris, pg&e responsible for it. halts traffic on interstate 280. we'll have a live report. >> assault with a deadly weapon. >> a man hit by a car during the oakland "occupy" rally, says police are ignoring his case. >> we have a lot more coming up forrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr