Daylight saving ends, so check your fire alarm
Daylight saving ends this Sunday, April 6, and the NSW Fire Brigades (NSWFB) reminds all NSW residents to change their smoke alarm batteries when they change back their clocks.
In 2007 the fire services recorded just under 11,000 residential fires nationally resulting in 70 deaths, 22 of those deaths occurred in NSW.
NSWFB Commissioner Greg Mullins said that many fire-related deaths and injuries could have been prevented if households had working smoke alarms.
“People don’t realise when they are asleep they can’t smell smoke. That’s why smoke alarms are essential to ensure people sleeping in a house wake up and evacuate if a fire breaks out,” he said.
Smoke alarms provide a vital early warning signal in the event of a fire. Change your clock, change your smoke alarm battery, supported by Duracell, is an annual fire safety campaign promoting the importance of working smoke alarms.
Research by the Australasian Fire Authorities Councils found that the absence of a smoke alarm can increase the possibility of a fatality by 60 per cent.
“It’s tragic when you think lives could have been saved for as little as the cost of a working smoke alarm,” said Jolie Egan, Duracell Public Relations Manager. Duracell has been a sponsor of the campaign for eight years.
The NSWFB recommends you:
Test smoke alarms monthly by pressing the test button with a broom handle.
Vacuum smoke alarms every six months to clean the vents.
Replace the battery annually with a long-lasting alkaline battery.
Install a smoke alarm outside the sleeping areas on every level of a house, and install a smoke alarm in bedrooms if people sleep with their doors closed.
Avoid locating smoke alarms near cooking appliances and bathrooms as the smallest amount of smoke or steam can activate them.
The NSWFB also recommend that all homes be fitted with Australian Standards-approved photo-electric smoke alarms. Public housing properties are fitted with hard-wired smoke alarms. It is the tenant’s responsibility to regularly clean and test the smoke alarm.
For further information visit: www.changeyourbattery.com.au or contact your local fire authority.
