This article discusses interconnected smoke alarms in NSW by explaining Fire & Rescue’s recommendation to go beyond minimum legal requirements to improve fire safety in townhouses.
Question: Can you provide some information about NSW Fire & Rescue’s “encouragement” to install interconnected alarms in NSW townhouses.
The 2006 NSW legislation regarding smoke alarms falls short of the NSW Fire and Rescue’s “encouragement” that interconnected alarms be installed.
Despite being very familiar with the NSW legislation I was unaware of NSW Fire & Rescue’s “encouragement” until a new electrician mentioned it last Friday.
It would be great to receive some information about interconnected alarms for townhouses.
Answer: The Fire Brigade are focussed on maximum life safety rather than simply the minimum Legislation requirements.
2006 Smoke Alarm Legislation is the minimum requirement. It’s stating that ALL homes that are sold or rented must have a working smoke alarm (battery-only or otherwise) in specific locations.
The current Building Code of Australia and Residential Tenancies Act/ Reg expand on this minimum to require mains powered &/or interconnected smoke alarms for new buildings and for certain tenancy situations.
The Fire Brigade – who are focussed on maximum life safety rather than simply the minimum, indeed recommend mains powered alarms, replacement every 10 years, additional locations throughout the home and interconnected.
Here is Fire & Rescue’s page outlining the legislation and their recommendations: Smoke Alarms
NSW Fire & Rescue make these recommendations due to the following:
The risk of a fatality in a home fire is halved if there is a working smoke alarm in a residential dwelling.
Additional and interconnected smoke alarms improve this as modern home furnishings burn much faster and more intensely than in the past and children are often not easily woken by smoke alarms.
Here’s an Underwriters Laboratory YouTube clip showing how quickly fire develops: Scarily – it’s quite old already and every year we’re all bring more flammable products into our homes.
Flashover… Old Vs. New
This post appears in Strata News #560.
Rob Broadhead 2020 Fire Protection E: rob.broadhead@2020fire.com.au P: 1300 340 210