Smoke alarms play a critical role

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Research shows that an absence of working smoke alarms increases the risk of dying in a house fire by an incredible 80 per cent. That is a terrifying statistic. Most fatal fires are caused by electrical faults, smoking materials, heating appliances and open fires. They will often start without notice and will quickly become a danger to health and life if there are no warning systems in place. It is not enough to just install smoke alarms in houses. To work reliably, they need to be the right type, installed in the right place, and tested regularly. Compliant, functional smoke alarms are critical for the early detection of a fire in a home and could mean the difference between life and death. This is so important that it is worth repeating. It is not enough simply to have alarms installed. They must work! With most fatal fires occurring at night when people are usually asleep, working smoke alarms will give you and your family vital extra minutes to escape from disaster. When correctly positioned and fully functioning, they can limit fire damage and cost through early detection. The truest smoke alarm test involves testing with artificial smoke to ensure the smoke detection mechanism is working. Regular smoke alarm maintenance requires more than simply changing a battery and pressing a button. A smoke alarm might emit a sound when you press the test button, but that does not necessarily tell you if it will work in a fire. A smoke alarm that is working but is outside of its expiry date is not only non-compliant but runs the risk of suddenly not functioning. If you are a landlord, you and your property manager have strict obligations to meet when it comes to fire alarms, their installation, and maintenance.

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Only working smoke alarms save lives.

Each state has its own set of regulations. Regardless of which state, every landlord’s duty of care extends to the installation and maintenance of compliant and working smoke alarms.

Smoke Alarms Australia (SAA) is an Australian-owned and operated company formed in 2005 as a specialist in fire protection for residential properties. The company launched when the installation of smoke alarms became mandatory for all residential properties in NSW, with similar legislation implemented in other states.

RE/MAX partners with Smoke Alarms Australia, embracing the company’s expertise in protecting homeowners, landlords, tenants, agents and property managers.

RE/MAX Australia Director Chris Chapman says, “For the safety of all concerned, and due to the complexity and structure of the various legislative requirements, we believe that smoke alarms should be placed in the hands of trained compliance specialists, and through partnering with SAA, we give our landlords and tenants a better, safer experience.”

SAA was excited to launch a specialty app designed for tenants in June this year, which assists property managers in their duty of care and creates a safer tenant experience.

Installing and maintaining smoke alarms is inarguably one of the most important aspects of protecting your home and its occupants from a fire.

Data for properties serviced by Smoke Alarms Australia shows that more than 50 percent of homes are not compliant on the first service. Close to half of all home fires attended by fire services are at properties where a smoke alarm does not work.