Smoke Detectors: Save Lives

Why Install a Smoke Detector?

Evidence Shows A Reduction In House Fire Deaths Of More Than 50% In Homes Where
Working Smoke Alarms Are Installed.

Smoke alarms are life-saving devices that provide benefits for occupants. They detect smoke well before any sleeping occupant would and provide critical seconds to implement actions to save life and property . Smoke alarms are designed to detect fire smoke and emit a loud and distinctive sound to alert occupants of potential danger.

Since September 1994 new homes in the Australian Capital Territory (Australia) have been required to have mains-powered smoke alarms installed. It is also a requirement to have smoke alarms installed in home extensions that impact on sleeping and living areas.

Smoke alarms are mandatory in ALL dwellings in Australian States - New South Wales , Victoria and South Australia . Evidence from the USA , where smoke alarms have been in wide use for 20 years, shows a reduction in house fire deaths of more than 50% in those homes where working smoke alarms are installed. The data available in Australia supports the USA figures.

If you have a working smoke alarm you are reducing the fire risk to yourself and your family and/or your tenants.

Some of the causes of house fires (both day and night) include:

1) Electrical faults in old wiring.
2) Overloading of electrical outlets.
3) Incorrectly rated fuses installed
4) Unattended or badly located heaters
5) Unattended appliances (ovens, irons, etc)
6) Children or mentally disabled or elderly people using naked flames.
7) Arson
8) People falling asleep while smoking in bed

Did you know that when you are asleep, a house fire is dangerous because:

1) The smell of smoke will not wake you up

2) You can't see the fire or smoke because generally, your eyes are shut (you're asleep)

3) You die (or pass out) of smoke inhalation before you get burnt so you won't feel the fire or smoke.

4) You can't taste fire or smoke

A smoke detector, or smoke alarm, emits a persistent and somewhat annoying sound when affected by smoke. This is why they are so effective. The sound is persistent and annoying enough to wake up most people and allow them to take action earlier, rather than later, in the case of a house fire.

It has been said however, that you can't rely on children being woken by the sound of a smoke detector going off. (My kids could sleep through just about anything!)

There are two types of Smoke Alarms (or smoke detectors) - Mains Connected or Battery Operated.

Why Use Mains Connected Smoke Detectors?

• The detector will still work (limited to no battery backup) if the batteries are not changed.
• Indicators and testers are powered by the mains and do not rely on the charge in the battery
• They are connected to the mains power and use this power to sound the alarm
• If desired, the detectors can be linked together if desired to activate other detector alarms and make the alarm sound throughout the house
• Note: the battery should be changed each year to ensure operation if the power is lost

Why Use Battery Operated Smoke Detectors?

• They are less expensive to install
• Some form of smoke detection is better than none at all

As a 'general rule', a smoke alarm outside sleeping areas and on each level of your home provides a reasonable degree of protection from the threat of fire.

In a single-level home if all the bedrooms connect to a common passageway from the living areas then two alarms are sufficient.

Extra alarms will be required in homes:

• With separate sleeping areas
• Where occupants tend to sleep with doors closed
• Or areas where heaters or electrical appliances are used

The placement of smoke alarms depends on the size and layout of your home.

Smoke alarms are required to be located so that they detect smoke before the smoke reaches the sleeping occupants. The sound level emitted by the smoke alarm is designed to wake sleeping occupants to give them time to escape from the building.

In residential dwellings, villas, townhouses, apartments and units etc, smoke alarms should be installed in every storey.

In storeys containing bedrooms, smoke alarms are to be located on or near the ceiling

• in every corridor or hallway associated with a bedroom, or
• if there is no corridor or hallway, between the part of the building containing the bedroom and the remainder of the building, dwelling or unit

In a dwelling, apartment or unit where bedrooms are grouped together and connected to the living areas by a corridor or hallway the smoke alarm should be located as shown below.

In dwellings where the bedrooms are separated and not grouped together, then smoke alarms should be located as shown below.

Even if this storey of house doesn't have bedrooms, you'll still need at least one smoke alarm.

In these storeys, a smoke alarm should be located in the path of travel in which the occupants will most likely take to escape from the building. This will ensure that the alarm is sounded before the smoke prevents the occupants from escaping from the building. If the bedrooms are located on the first floor or upper floor level, then the smoke alarm should be located near the area of the interconnecting stair, as shown below.

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