SMOKE Alarm Action Day is 1 June, a day when Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) and fire services across Australia, prompt people to check they have a working smoke alarm.
Their campaign slogan is, “Be smart. Take part. Check that you have a smoke alarm and test that it works”.
“The most important button you’ll press this month… is the one on your smoke alarm,” FRNSW’s Tim George told News Of The Area.
“Test it today – it only takes seconds.”
Last year, nearly half the homes damaged or destroyed by fire in NSW did not have a working smoke alarm.
The key message in the campaign is that a working smoke alarm is your best early warning sign of a fire, giving you and your loved ones the chance to get out, stay out, and call Triple Zero (000).
“Winter is a critical time for fire prevention due to the spike in home fires, fire-related fatalities and injuries.
“The statistics are concerning for both the community and for our people responding to these incidents”.
There were 1036 residential fires in NSW last winter, during which 12 people died and 107 others were injured.
“In 44 per cent of those cases, the home either did not have a smoke alarm or, if one was present, it did not operate when the fire broke out.
“We want to ensure all households have a working smoke alarm, and that all members of that household know what to do in the event of a fire in their residence.”
If you don’t have a smoke alarm, or it doesn’t sound, Fire and Rescue NSW can provide one for free as part of its free Safety Visits program.
Bookings can be made through fire.nsw.gov.au/visits.
By Andrea FERRARI
