Smoke Alarms Australia Related News

New study shows that less than one-twenty properly maintain smoke alarms

Sat, 24 Mar 2012 03:19:00 GMT

Victoria University News | Monday 19th March 2012

Less than one-in-twenty Melbournians are properly maintaining their smoke alarms to protect against serious malfunction, according to new research.

A survey of 500 Melbournians by Victoria University smoke alarm experts Professor Dorothy Bruck and Dr Michelle Barnett found less than 5 per cent of people vacuumed their smoke alarm monthly, as recommended by Australian safety guidelines.

Sixty percent of people never cleaned the inside of their smoke alarms at all.

“This is concerning because a build-up of debris inside the alarm may mean that smoke cannot be detected by the device,” Professor Bruck said. “Thus people may not become aware of a fire in time to escape.”

Vacuuming the smoke alarm is the only way to properly maintain a smoke alarm and keep it free of dust and insects. Wiping it on the outside, which is all that most people do, achieves nothing, she said.

When it came to changing the battery more than half those questioned did not change batteries annually as recommended, while 17 per cent said they had never done it. Many people with hard wired alarms did not even realize batteries needed to be changed in this type of alarm.

More than one in four people waited for the smoke alarm to start beeping before they changed the battery.

“That can be a problem because it often beeps at an inconvenient time, such as in the middle of the night when you may not feel like getting a ladder and changing the battery,” she said.

Dead or missing batteries are the most common reason that smoke alarms don’t work.

“Australia has a high rate of smoke alarm ownership, with compulsory installation requirements across all states,” Professor Bruck said. “Although this is pleasing, it is not correct to assume that a smoke alarm will be in functional order without appropriate maintenance.”

The ending of daylight saving on April 3 is a good time to change the batteries and vacuum your smoke alarms on the inside in time for winter, she said. If an alarm is over 10 years old you should change the alarm itself.

The study ‘Smoke Alarm maintenance in an Australian community sample' has been published in Fire Safety Science by the International Association for Fire Safety Science.

http://www.vu.edu.au/news/less-than-one-in-twenty-properly-maintain-smoke-alarms

Are All Smoke Alarms Created Equal?

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 01:44:00 GMT

Mitigating risk of injury or death in a house fire goes beyond just installing smoke alarms. A segment this morning on Breakfast with Adam Spencer on 702 ABC Sydney highlighted issues surrounding the different types of smoke alarms available for use in residential properties.

Adrian Butler, Chairman of the World Fire Safety Foundation, provided comments as to the WFSF’s concerns on the widespread use of ionisation alarms in residential properties stating that “they’re a flame detector - they don’t detect smoke.” Butler also went on to comment on how fire and rescue authorities throughout Australia are recommending the use of photoelectric alarms over their cheaper alternative, ionisation smoke alarms.

Photoelectric smoke alarms are quicker at detecting slow, smouldering fires while ionisation alarms are triggered by combustion particles that come from fast-flaming fires that typically occur with the burning of paper or liquids. In a house fire situation, it is critical to alert occupants as quick as smoke occurs - not to wait until naked flames are visible.

Smoke Alarms Australia adopted a policy early on to only use top quality photoelectric alarms in every property they service. While the current version of AS3786 still has provisions for the use of both ionisation and photoelectric alarms in residential properties, SAA stands by their commitment to remain the responsible choice and not cut corners. SAA is committed to assisting their clients manage their duty of care at the highest possible standards.

It is also important for landlords and property managers alike to understand that the type of smoke alarms installed is not the only issue at hand when it comes to protecting a tenant’s safety. Smoke alarms must also be within their service dates, in the right locations, clear of debris and obstructions, and with an appropriate power source. They must be tested regularly - not just by pushing the test button - to ensure they will actually work in a fire.

To have your property or entire rental portfolio assessed and protected, contact Smoke Alarms Australia at 1300 125 276.
Listen to the segment here.

2 Weeks Away - NSW Residential Tenancies Regulation 2010

Thu, 03 Mar 2011 05:02:00 GMT

Only 2 weeks until the new NSW Residential Tenancies Regulation 2010 becomes effective! Here are few of the key changes:

SMOKE ALARMS

The responsibility now falls solely on the landlord to ensure smoke alarms are installed and maintained.

TENANTS GET MORE TIME TO MOVE OUT

If the landlord wants the tenant to move 'without grounds' the notice period is now 90 days

ALTERATIONS

A tenant will still need approval from the landlord if they want to make minor alterations to the property, such as installing child safety locks on windows. The landlord must be reasonable, but can still say no if it involves structural changes, etc.

FEE-FREE RENT PAYMENTS

Every tenant must be given at least one fee-free way to pay rent.

WATER EFFICIENCY

Premises must be water efficient if tenants of separately metered premises are to pay for water usage.

Are you ready?

To discuss the changes and how they affect your agency or property, contact Smoke Alarms Australia at 1300 125 276.

NSW Residential Tenancies Regulation 2010

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 05:36:00 GMT

RESIDENTIAL TENANCIES REGULATION 2010
Changes to the residential tenancies regulation means more responsibility for landlords. With the new regulation set to be effective as of January 31st 2011, the responsibility will now fall solely on the landlord to ensure that smoke alarms are installed and maintained in accordance with relevant legislation and regulations.
Reduce the amount of stress for your landlords by letting Smoke Alarms Australia handle the installation and maintenance of the smoke alarms in their rental properties. Not only will the properties become compliant, your landlords can be at ease knowing they have fulfilled their duty of care in providing a home that is fit and safe to live in.
Call Smoke Alarms Australia on 1300 125 276 to ensure all your properties are up to date.

Family of seven flee Baulkham Hills house fire

Thu, 23 Sep 2010 07:12:00 GMT

Clarissa Potter, her brother and five children fled their Baulkham Hills home minutes before it burned to the ground at 7pm last night.

The 30-year-old mother was in the back room of the two-storey house in Broadhurst Pl when she smelled smoke and discovered the sofa was on fire.

She said she desperately tried to beat out the flames before screaming for her children, aged 13 to four years, and her brother Chris Ward, 15, to get out of the house immediately.
Nursing a bandaged arm injured in her frantic attempts to put the fire out, Ms Potter said it was terrifying.

Neighbour Les Harvey who rushed to her aid said the flames were so high within minutes and in 10 minutes the whole house was destroyed.

“I could hear her screaming ‘the house is on fire’ and I ran outside,” Mr Harvey said.
Ms Potter said the family lost everything in the fire.

“The children are absolutely devastated,” she said.

The children were on the phone talking to their father when the fire started.

“I honest to God don’t know what happened,” a tearful Ms Potter said.

“I was in the little lounge downstairs and the children were on the phone to their father and I could smell smoke and I noticed it coming from the lounge.”

She got her children Robert, 13, Danielle, 8, Benjamin, 6, and Shelby, 4, out of the house as quickly as she could.

While the family and neighbours watched firefighters fight the fire, one neighbor took up a collection for the family raising money to buy them clothes.

Ms Potter and her brother and eldest son Robert stayed the night with a neighbour while the four children were picked up by their dad.

The family had been renting the house for a little more than 12 months.

“I know the family lived in the home for 25 years before they rented it out and they grew up there. It hurts me a lot that they have lost it and it has gone,” said Ms Potter.

A member of the family that owns the house arrived at 8am and told Ms Potter: “It’s just a house. At the end of the day you and the kids got out.”

via the Hills Shire Times
22 Sep 10 @ 11:22am by BEV JORDAN
http://hills-shire-times.whereilive.com.au/news/story/family-of-seven-flee-baulkham-hills-house-fire/

Family suffers tragic loss while waiting for broken smoke alarm to be fixed

Thu, 23 Sep 2010 07:09:00 GMT

The devastated mother of a four-year-old boy who died after he was trapped in their burning home says he was "one of a kind" and a "proud Aussie".

Jackie Kovacs managed to save six of her children from the blaze, which started in the lounge room of their house.

Police and fire-fighters were called to the McMenamin Place home and found it engulfed in flames about 3am on Wednesday.

Ms Kovacs and six of her children, aged between seven weeks and 15, managed to escape the fire, but her four-year-old son was not with them.

"I woke up and I saw a red light above my head," Ms Kovacs, 35, told Network Ten.

"I pulled back the curtain and the curtain was on fire and the window was broken.

"It all happened too quick, in a matter of minutes."

Police tried to enter the house but were forced back by fire and smoke.

Firefighters were able to make their way to the back of the house where they found the four-year-old boy in a bedroom.

A neighbour, Tristan Hadson, said Ms Kovacs tried desperately to wake her son when he was carried out by firefighters.

"She was hysterical, screaming out, and there was next-door neighbours, they were screaming out, they were trying to wake him up too," he said.

The boy was taken to Bathurst Base Hospital in critical condition but died just after 7.30am.
Ms Kovacs and her other children were also taken to Bathurst Base for assessment, but the ambulance service said they were not injured.

"He wasn't burnt, it was just the smoke," Ms Kovacs said of her young son, who she said was "one of a kind".

"He was a proud Aussie," she said.

Investigators believe the fire could have been deliberately lit, according to Network Ten, who were told the family had been waiting for the housing commission to fix their broken smoke alarm.

Mother mourns 'one of a kind' son
via The Western Advocate
September 16, 2010 - 6:56AM

When we say 'no more to pay' we really mean it!

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 01:15:00 GMT

Smoke Alarms Australia has been providing support to property managers and landlords alike since our launch in 2005. In that time our services have been evolving by making investments in a dedicated call centre, our state-of-the-art Online Tracking System and in our fully trained and qualified service technicians.

Our approach makes managing smoke alarms easy, with no hidden charges, conditions or terms that cause confusion or friction with your landlords. Our pricing comes without hard to understand terms and conditions – it’s simple, $99.00 no more to pay.

We don’t think you or your landlords should be concerned about whether or not an alarm is expired, faulty, damaged, or painted over. You shouldn’t have to worry about the difference between a faulty alarm or one damaged by a tenant – whether the alarm is battery operated or hardwired. That is our job - we are the smoke alarm experts.

During our inspections, any alarm that has expired, is not functioning or needs to be added, will be replaced or installed at no additional charge. Only working smoke alarms save lives.

No one likes surprises, not you, not your landlords – so we commit not to give you any. There is no need to go back to your landlords for approval of additional charges or spend valuable time explaining what’s in what’s out to your landlords. You both have much more important things to do.

Our approach is simple. We will make the property compliant, protect your landlord’s investment and the lives of your tenants. We think you should enjoy peace of mind in knowing that your landlord’s asset is protected and that you don’t have to worry about hidden surprises. Our systems and our people make it easy, our all inclusive fee means Smoke Alarms Australia is the responsible choice.

$99 no more to pay

Experts unsurprised by the tragedy of four more house fire related deaths...

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 06:22:00 GMT

So far this winter, we’ve seen more than 500 house fires and now 9 fatalities in NSW alone. It’s a frightening statistic, but one that will continue to rise say the experts, unless people start taking fire safety seriously.

According to Stuart Redman, CEO of Sydney based Smoke Alarms Australia, who specialise in the installation and maintenance of residential smoke alarms, one in four residential alarms that they inspect are expired and/or faulty and would not have functioned in the event of a fire, potentially failing to wake the occupants.

Mr. Redman went on to say that it is astounding how many alarms have been tampered with by being painted over, moved, disabled and the like.

He also commented “There is a great misconception that all you need to do is change the battery to ensure your alarm is up to scratch, but the reality is that this alone is not sufficient to make certain your alarms are functioning properly and to know that they will actually do their job in the event of a fire.”

“At a minimum each year they need to be properly serviced by a technician who is trained in fire protection. Smoke alarms are one of your biggest defences in case of fire and not servicing them is a risk simply not worth taking. Tragically, we lost four more lives to fire this weekend because occupants couldn’t get out of their homes in time. I really hope the message is starting to get through and that people start taking fire protection seriously.”

Essential services such as fire protection are a little like insurance. You hate to pay for it, but you pray you never need to use it. It is a fact that most household fire fatalities occur when residents are sleeping because they are not woken in time. All too often, this is because a smoke alarm didn’t function properly.

Do yourself, your family and friends a favour and have your alarms inspected. You would never forgive yourself if someone was hurt, or worse, because a simple smoke alarm didn’t do its job in your property.

Smoke Alarms Australia can be contacted on 1300 125 276 or at stuart@smokealarmsaustralia.com.au

Four house-fire deaths prompt warning to residents

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 06:14:00 GMT

Four house-fire deaths in as many days have sparked pleas for NSW residents to ensure their homes have proper safety measures in place.

A 97-year-old man became the latest victim when a Hunter region home burnt down this morning.

Emergency crews arrived at the home in Woodberry, near Maitland, about 5.30am to find it engulfed in flames.

The body of the elderly man was found in the wreckage, but the man's son, aged in his 60s, and his teenage grandson were able to make it out of the house safely.

A five-year-old girl died yesterday when she became trapped in her family's home, also in Woodberry, after the fire broke out about 10am.

Her grandmother managed to escape with a seven-year-old child before crews worked for more than an hour to extinguish the blaze.

Earlier in the day, fire crews were called to a burning home at Hamilton, in Newcastle's west, about 6.15am.

They dragged a 55-year-old unconscious man to safety and rushed him to John Hunter Hospital in a critical condition.

He was transferred to Royal North Shore Hospital and died the same day.

On Thursday, an 83-year-old man died in a house fire in Ashfield, in Sydney's inner-west.

Firefighters were called to the burning home about 3.30pm and rescued the man who died at the scene.

NSW Fire Brigades Commissioner Greg Mullins said today residents should review their fire safety procedures.

"I'm appealing to all NSW residents to make sure they have working smoke alarms, home escape plans, and to be extremely careful with heaters, fires and cooking," Commissioner Mullins said in a statement.

"This is especially important during the winter months when we use heaters, open fires, clothes dryers, and electrical appliances, and tend to cook more hot meals,."

Residents are urged to visit www.homefiresafetyaudit.com.au and www.3minutes.com.au for fire safety tips.

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/four-housefire-deaths-prompt-warning-to-residents-20100808-11pyx.html

Working Smoke Alarm Alerts Neighbours

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 05:03:00 GMT

As reported on the NSW Fire Brigades website this morning, residents at a unit block in Rocket St, Bathurst, called 000 for the fire brigade when they heard a smoke alarm operating in a neighbour's unit, who had left a roast cooking in the oven. Fortunately, the smoke alarm alerted the neighbours before the situation developed into a fire.Read all about it: www.nswfb.nsw.gov.au

Smoke Alarms Australia - Residential Property Owners

Wed, 09 May 2012 09:39:00 GMT

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Smoke Alarms Australia - Real Estate Agents

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 01:30:00 GMT

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Family flees fire as flat battery silences smoke alarm.

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 13:36:00 GMT

Twenty one people were evacuated from an apartment block in Melbourne's north-west this morning when a fire broke out and sent smoke billowing throughout the complex.

When fire crews turned up at the Randall Street block in Maribyrnong they were confronted with residents yelling for help from the upper floor windows, unable to use the central stairwell because of heavy smoke.

Metropolitan Fire Brigade commander Bob Undy said the blaze began in the kitchen of a ground-floor unit about 4.15am where a family of five was sleeping.

He said the family - including two parents, their two young children and their grandfather visiting from India - woke to the sound of glass breaking and ran out of their unit.

The home had a smoke alarm fitted, however Commander Undy said the family was unaware they had to change the battery, which had gone flat.

"We're not getting the message across obviously," he said.

"We would encourage people to change the battery in their smoke alarms annually."

The fire, which was extinguished in about 15 minutes, caused about $200,000 damage to the unit and created confusion in the three-storey apartment block.

"The initial crews were confronted with people screaming from the second and third floors," Commander Undy said.

"They have done a really good job of knocking the fire out, and they put on breathing apparatus and got everyone out.

Neighbours also gathered at the base of the apartment block, and some suggested the trapped residents should throw their babies out, he said.

"The people could see smoke, but weren't sure where the flames were," Commander Undy said.

Paramedics treated seven people at the scene for minor smoke inhalation, and residents of the apartment block were now staying with family or friends.

Fire investigators will return to the apartment block today to determine the cause of the blaze.

"We don't think it's suspicious but we can't put our finger on what caused it," Commander Undy said.

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/family-flees-fire-as-flat-battery-silences-smoke-alarm-20100408-rsmm.html

Smoke detectors save pair in house blaze.

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 13:37:00 GMT

Firefighters say smoke detectors saved the lives of two people when their home caught alight on the New South Wales south coast overnight.

The blaze started inside a house on Parramatta Street at east Nowra about 3:00am (AEST).

Nowra Fire Brigade Captain Neil Rutledge says the cause is being investigated but it is not thought to be suspicious.

He says the two occupants inside were alerted by smoke detectors and were able to vacate the house through a bedroom window.

"It's a residential home, a standard department housing home, the origin was in the lounge room," he said.

Police have cordoned off the area around the house pending an investigation.

Nearby properties were not damaged.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/05/14/2899609.htm

House Fire in Mosman

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 13:40:00 GMT

Three people, five cats and a dog have survived a house fire on Spit Rd in Mosman.

NSW Fire Brigade acting superintendent Jay Bland said four crews were called to the fire at 7.38am at Spit Rd, near Awaba St.

"When they arrived they found one lady out the front with burns and two others with smoke inhalation," he said.

The woman with burns was taken to hospital for treatment. He said the crews also found five cats and a dog at the property, and all were not affected by the fire.

Supt Bland said the fire was contained to the one room, with the rest of the house suffering smoke and heat damage.

He said the firefighters had "an idea" about what started the fire, but would need to continue investigations before revealing any more detail.

Traffic was banked up along Spit Rd at Mosman, with some road closures in place as police and firefighters remain at the scene.

Source: The Mosman Daily