wake up to photoelectric smoke alarms

You are required to install and maintain smoke alarms in your rental property.

TheminimumlegalrequirementisanalarminaccordancewiththesmokealarmAustralianStandard.Thiscanbemetbya9-voltbatteryoperatedsmokealarm,withaone-yearbatteryfordwellingsbuiltbefore1997.However,agoodquality10-yearbatteryalarmorhard-wiredalarmismorereliableandmaybemoreeffectiveinthelongterm.Homesbuiltafter1997musthavehard-wiredalarmsfitted.

Youmusttestandcleaneachsmokealarmwithin30daysbeforethestartofatenancyagreement.

Inadditionyoumustreplace,inaccordancewiththemanufacturersinstructions,eachbatteryinthesmokealarmthatisflatorthatyouoryouragentisawareisalmostflatwithin30daysbeforethestartofatenancy.

Youmustreplacethesmokealarmunitbeforeitreachestheendofitsservicelife.Servicelifeofasmokealarmisusuallyindicatedbythewarrantyofferedbyitsmanufacturer.

Ifyoursmokealarmreachestheendofitsservicelife,youmustreplaceitimmediately.

Wherenotifiedbyatenantthatasmokealarmisnotoperating,youshouldhavethesmokealarmcheckedbyacompetentprofessional,andasrequired,repairedorreplaced.

Ifyourpropertyismanagedbyanagent,theymaybeabletoarrangeforthistobedonetoensureyour

legislativerequirementismet.

Youarerequiredbylawtotestandcleaneachsmokealarminthedwellingatleastonceevery12months.

Youarerequiredbylawtoreplace,inaccordancewiththeinformationstatement(RTAForm17a)providedtoyou,eachbatterythatisflatorisalmostflatduringyourtenancy.

Ifyoubecomeawarethatasmokealarmintherentalpropertyisnotworking,otherthanbecausethebatteryisflatoralmostflat,youmustadvisethelandlordoragentassoonaspracticable.

Yourlandlordisonlyrequiredbylawtotestandcleansmokealarmsatthestartofeachnewtenancyagreement.Ifthepropertyismanagedbyanagent,theymayarrangeforthistobedone.

Please note that for public housing tenants the State Government has already installed hard-wired smoke alarms in all public housing dwellings.

Insurance Tenants

Researchindicatesthatnearlyhalfofallrentersdonothaveinsuranceofanykind.

Toprotectyourpersonalpossessionsyoushouldhaveyourowncontentsinsurance.

Insurance Property Owners

Industryfiguresshowthatpeopleunderinsure.

Adequateinsurancecovercanprovidepeaceofmindifyourhomeandbelongingsaredamagedorlosttofire.

Mostinsurancecompaniesofferspecificlandlordpolicies.

Asapropertyowneryourhomeinsurancepolicycouldbeaffectedbywhetheryouhaveasmokealarminstalled.

Checkwithyourspecificinsuranceprovider.

Do I need a fire escape plan?

Onthesaleofaproperty,thevendormustlodgeaformwiththeQueenslandLandRegistry(www.nrw.qld.gov.au)statingthatsmokealarmsareinstalledinthepropertyandthepurchaserhasbeeninformedsmokealarmsareinstalled.

FireOfficerswillalsoinvestigatecomplaintsreceived.Finesapplyforfailingtoinstallsmokealarms.

kitchen

doordining room bathroom

bedroom

window

windowwindow office

Asmokealarmwillalertyoutoafire,butwhatyoudonextisamatteroflifeanddeath.

Tosurviveitisessentialyouhaveafireescapeplan.

1. Drawyourescapeplanonasheetofpaperorvisitwww.fire.qld.gov.au.

2. Plantwowaysoutofeveryroom.

3. Pickameetingplaceoutsidethehome,suchastheletterbox.

4. Ringthefireserviceon000(TripleZero).

5. Practiseyourfireescapeplanregularly,atnight,withthelightsoff.

6. Practiseyourescapeonhandsandknees.

WHAT IF I AM A LANDLORD? WHAT IF I AM A TENANT? DO I NEED A FIRE ESCAPE PLAN?

HOW ARE SMOKE ALARMS ENFORCED? SafehomeisaFREEserviceprovidedbytheQueenslandFireandRescueServicetohouseholdersinanurbanfireservicearea.Localfirefighterswillcometoyourhometoassistyoutorecognisefireandsafetyhazardsinandaroundthehome.Oncethehazardsareidentifiedyoucanthentakestepstoeliminatethem.Avisitshouldtakenolongerthan45minutes.

Youwillreceiveadviceoncorrectpositioningandinstallationofsmokealarms,asafetypackandchecklist.

Call13QGOV(137468)foraSafehomevisit.

photoelectricWake up to

smoke alarms

3301

QFR

S6/13

Great state. Great opportunity.

Department of Community Safety

Queensland Fire and Rescue Service

ALL HOMES IN QUEENSLAND

MUST HAVE A WORKING

SMOKE ALARM

Dining Kitchen

Living Room

B/rm

B/rm

Hall

B/rm

Hall

Kitchen

Living Room

B/rm

B/rm

B/rmDining

Hall

Kitchen

Living Room B/rm

B/rmB/rmDining

Dining Kitchen

Living Room

B/rm

B/rm

Hall

B/rm

Hall

Kitchen

Living Room

B/rm

B/rm

B/rmDining

Hall

Kitchen

Living Room B/rm

B/rmB/rmDining

Dining Kitchen

Living Room

B/rm

B/rm

Hall

B/rm

Hall

Kitchen

Living Room

B/rm

B/rm

B/rmDining

Hall

Kitchen

Living Room B/rm

B/rmB/rmDining

Betweenthebedroomsandtherestofthehouse.

Additionalalarmsareneededinhomeswithseparatedsleepingareas.

Insideeachbedroom,inthehallwayandlivingareas,andconnectedtogether.

Insidethebedroomsifyouareaheavysleeper,orifyouclosethedoor,andinthehallway.

Additionalrecommendationforaddedsafety(notlaw)

Minimumbylaw

Minimumbylaw

Minimumbylaw

Additionalrecommendationforaddedsafety(notlaw)

WHERE DO THEY NEED TO GO?

WHAT KIND OF SMOKE ALARMS DO I HAVE?

OfthedozensofAustralianswhodieinresidentialhousefireseachyear,mostdieinfiresthatstartatnightwhentheyareasleep.

Insteadofwakingyou,smokeandtoxicgasesfromafirecanquicklynumbyoursensesandputyouintoanevendeepersleep.

Workingsmokealarmsareasimplewaytowarnyouofadevelopingfireandgiveyoutimetoescape.

Themoreworkingsmokealarmsinstalled,thegreateryourchanceofsurvival.

Ifyourhomewasbuiltafter1997,thereshouldbe240volt(hard-wired)smokealarmsinstalledatthetimethepremiseswasbuilt.ThenumberofalarmsandtheirplacementissetdownundertheBuildingCodeofAustralia(BCA).

Alsohomeshavingundertakenmajorrenovationsorextensionssince1997,shouldhaveincludedtheinstallationof240volt(hard-wired)smokealarms.

Ifyourhomewasbuiltbefore1997youmusthave,asaminimum,onealarmforeachlevelofthedwelling.Thesecanbebattery-operated,althoughlong-lifebatteriesorhard-wiredtypesarerecommendedforbetterprotection.

WHY?

WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO?

THE QUEENSLAND FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE RECOMMENDS THAT ALL RESIDENTIAL ACCOMMODATION BE FITTED WITH PHOTOELECTRIC SMOKE ALARMS.

Basic protection plan

Basic protection floor plan

Basic protection floor plan

Better protection floor plan

Best protection floor plan

B/rm

Kitchen Living Room

B/rm B/rmUpper Hall

Dining Kitchen

Living Room

B/rm

Bath

B/rm

TVROOM

Nearbedroomsandoneverystoreyofamulti-levelhouse.

Photoelectric smoke alarms do not have the radiation symbol.

WHAT ABOUT MAINTENANCE? Smokealarmsshouldbetestedandcleanedregularly.

Testsmokealarmsonceamonthusingthetestbutton.

Cleanthegrillofyoursmokealarmonceamonthusingavacuumcleanerorsoftbrush.

Replacealkalinetype9-voltbatterieseveryyear-useananniversarydatetoremember.

Writetheyearthesmokealarmwasmadeinpermanentinkonthebaseofthealarmorinsidetheunit.

Replacesmokealarmsevery10yearsoraccordingtomanufacturersinstructions.

Never paint smoke alarms

POWER SUPPLY OPTIONS

FOR SMOKE ALARMS

Photoelectricsmokealarmsgiveearlierwarningofsmoulderingfires(oneofthemostlikelydomesticfires),thanotherkindsofalarms.ResearchbytheAustralasianFireandEmergencyServiceAuthoritiesCouncilindicatesthatphotoelectricsmokealarmsprovidethebestdetectionacrossarangeoffiresandaremorelikelytoalertoccupantsintimetoescapesafely.

Photoelectricsmokealarmsarelesspronetonuisancealarmsandthereforelesslikelytobedisabledtostopannoyingandunwantedalarms.

Photoelectricsmokealarmsdonotcontainradioactivematerial.

PhotoelectricsmokealarmsarehighlyrecommendedbytheQueenslandFireandRescueServicebecauseoftheirbettersmokedetectionqualities.

Forbothflamingfiresandsmoulderingfires,photoelectricsmokealarmsaremorelikelytoalertoccupantsintimetoescapesafely.

Hard-wired240voltpowersupplywithbatterybackup.

Long-lifelithiumbattery.Lastsfor10years.

Batteryoperated9voltbattery.Shouldlastatleast12months.

Photoelectricsmokealarmslooklikeotheralarms,buttheydonothavearadiationsymbolonthem.

Ifyourshasaradiationsymbolonit,itshouldbereplaced.

Only use smoke alarms that comply with Australian Standards - look for these marks.

Its the law.

PHOTOELECTRIC SMOKE ALARMSSMOKE ALARMS FOR DEAF AND HEARING IMPAIRED PEOPLE

Ifyoucannothearastandardsmokealarm,therearespecialsmokealarmsdesignedforpeoplewhoaredeaforhardofhearing.Formoreinformationgotowww.fire.qld.com.auorcall13QGOV(137468).