WA: Q&A Apartment Building Fire Safety Regulations

These Q&As and articles are about building fire safety regulations in WA.

Table of Contents:

• QUESTION: We have smoke detectors mounted on the underside of our lot’s ceiling. These are connected to the building’s fire alarm panel in the common area. Are the smoke detectors lot property or common property?
• QUESTION: Can our building management company use the fire control room as their main office?
• QUESTION: If residents do not provide access on the annual fire inspection day, can the CoO on-charge fee’s for an additional contractor visit to the resident/owner?
• QUESTION: We are being charged $2000 to return a fire door to its original condition after the previous owner installed a deadbolt and peephole. Is this our cost to rectify?
• QUESTION: If a complex was not required to have fire equipment prior to WA Strata Act changes, do they now need to undertake a fire report to ensure they are meeting fire regulations?
• QUESTION: I’m on the COO of an older apartment building in Perth and we don’t have onsite extinguishers. What are the WA building fire safety regulations pertaining to older strata building complexes?
• QUESTION: Can you force an owner to allow you access? What happens if you can prove that you tried to get access for a fire inspection and the lot owner wouldn’t provide access?
• QUESTION: What does quoting for fire services cover? Does it include long term maintenance items like the replacement of smoke detector batteries, etc?
• QUESTION: If you have a leaky fire hose in a strata complex, is it sufficient if advised by the Council to leave it until the next fire service? Or, to comply with building fire safety regulations in WA, should this be rectified immediately?
• QUESTION: Can the strata company make the lot owner accountable to check internal smoke alarms in WA if the management statement says ‘these need to be checked annually’?
• QUESTION: We have regular false fire alarms in our new WA building. What can we do so that we are not constantly being disturbed by false fire alarms?
• QUESTION: I live in a Perth Building and wonder if you know of a company that can run an annual evacuation drill for our strata building. If so, how much would that be?
• ARTICLE: Are Your Fire Systems Really Compliant with WA Building Fire Safety Regulations?
• ARTICLE: Is the Fire Detection System in Your Building Monitored?
• ARTICLE: Have you had your smoke and fire barriers inspected this year?
• ARTICLE: Emergency Planning – Are You Prepared?
• ARTICLE: False Fire Alarms – Top Tips to Avoid a Financial Penalty
• QUESTION: Can you please guide me as to the ruling on evacuation notices? To comply with building fire safety regulations in WA, where should they be placed and is there a size regulation?

Question: We have smoke detectors mounted on the underside of our lot’s ceiling. These are connected to the building’s fire alarm panel in the common area. Are the smoke detectors lot property or common property?

Answer: A well-managed strata company will typically have a bylaw in place to ensure proper governance and oversight of the system.

If the smoke detectors are connected to a central system, it would make practical sense for the strata company to be responsible for their maintenance and management. A well-managed strata company will typically have a bylaw in place to ensure proper governance and oversight of the system, ensuring compliance with safety standards and providing clarity on responsibilities.

Jordan Dinga
Abode Strata
E: [email protected]
P: 08 9368 2221

This post appears in Strata News #723.

Question: Can our building management company use the fire control room as their main office?

Our complex was completed mid 2017. Our building management company uses the fire control room as their office. We have a lobby desk but they seem to use the fire control for their building operations and meetings.

I have a friend who lives in a nearby complex. She states that her building would not allow this as the room had to be empty and accessible for fire safety reasons. Is this correct?

Answer: The fire monitoring room is for fire equipment only. Items should not cause a trip hazard or impede clear access to the equipment at ALL times.

The fire monitoring room that houses all the controls, panels and monitors cannot be used as a storeroom or have any items that impede clear access to the equipment for maintenance, service, monitoring purposes and in an emergency.

The DFES requires clear access to all the panels and controls at all times should there be a need to attend the building in the event of fire or alarms sounding. The same applies to the designated fire maintenance contractor who needs to carry out scheduled periodic maintenance service.

In large strata complexes with a building manager or a concierge service, staff can be seen using the room by their front desk as a breakout room. Staff sometimes have a small table and chair in the area but technically, this room is for fire equipment only. Care must be taken to not place items that become a trip hazard or pose a threat to clear access to the equipment at ALL times.

Minal Kulkarni
Realmark
E: [email protected]
P: 08 9328 0999

This post appears in Strata News #635.

Question: If residents do not provide access on the annual fire inspection day, can the CoO on-charge fee’s for an additional contractor visit to the resident/owner?

Each apartment’s front door in our scheme is a fire-rated door. At the annual fire door testing, as building managers, we provide two weeks’ notice for all residents to make themselves available for the contractor.

If residents do not provide access on that day, the contractor charges additional fees to attend an additional inspection. Is the CoO able to on-charge this fee to the resident/owner?

Answer: We do not believe the Strata Company has the authority to impose a charge onto an owner/resident without having an appropriate bylaw in place.

Fire rated apartment doors which are under the Australian Standards to be tested annually must ALL be tested annually without exemption. Therefore, all apartment doors must be tested in order for the building to be compliant.

If, after residents have not provided access for this to be done and the fire service maintenance contractor has to come back, which incurs an additional charge, the additional charge is a strata expense in the first place.

We do not believe the Strata Company has the authority to impose a charge (eg a special levy) onto an owner/resident without having an appropriate bylaw in place in order to on charge additional fees imposed due to repeated attendance by the contractor.

Please note that the Strata Company has the power under Section 95 to enter any part of the parcel for the purpose of inspecting that part or any other part of the parcel (Section 95 (1) (d)); further Sections 65 and 66 apply to entry to common property or a lot and a person must not obstruct or hinder a person exercising a power under this section (Section 95 (2) and (3) of STA).

We do recommend that in those cases where access is required to each apartment for the Strata Company to comply with the fire safety regulations within a building, that also owners and agents in addition to the residents be notified in advance about the upcoming testing of the fire rated doors; emphasis must be made to advise the parties that if access is not being granted or if no alternative arrangements have been made with the contractor prior of the scheduled testing, additional costs will incur to the Strata Company to ensure compliance, and on top of that, the insurance for the building may be jeopardised in case of a fire.

Disclaimer, this is not constituted legal advice.

Marietta Metzger
magixstrata
E: [email protected]
P: 08 6559 7498

This post appears in the December 2022 edition of The WA Strata Magazine.

Question: We are being charged $2000 to return a fire door to its original condition after the previous owner installed a deadbolt and peephole. Is this our cost to rectify?

Strata recently emailed us to say we’d made unapproved changes to our front door by installing a deadbolt and peephole. We bought the apartment two years ago and these changes must have been made by the previous owner.

The strata company is claiming we need to pay $2,000 to have a new fireproof door installed as the deadbolt and peephole has affected the fire rating of the door.

Are we responsible for the cost of returning the door to the original condition?

Answer: The responsibility for the apartment, including fittings/installations etc, pass on with the ownership of the property.

Most apartments in high rise complexes have a fire door fitted as the front door to the apartment. In many cases, these doors are common property however this can only be determined by viewing a copy of the Strata Plan.

These fire doors have a rating attached to them and normally have a plate fitted to the spine of the door showing what the rating is ie: 1 hour, 1.5 hours etc. Replacement fire doors may cost $2500 or more.

These doors form part of the fire and safety infrastructure of the building. Fire doors create a passive fire safety system, protecting buildings from the spread of fire by confining the fire to a specific area for a designated period of time.

If the door is common property, then before any changes are made to the door you will require Strata Company approval.

The fitting of hardware to the door, if not fire rated, may compromise the door and therefore deem it to be non compliant. Once a fire door is non compliant then the intent of the door to confine a fire for a period of time may be lost. If a fire door is non compliant then it can cause further complications, not only to the safety of the resident of that apartment, but all residents in the complex and the Strata insurance cover etc.

The responsibility for the apartment, including fittings/installations etc, pass on with the ownership of the property. The duty of disclosure responsibility is with the person selling the property. The person purchasing has a responsibility to obtain the information they require before purchasing.

The replacing of the door may not be required. My understanding is that a locksmith can assist in providing you with some of the options regarding the current hardware and a changeover to new (fire rated) hardware. If the Strata Company were to approve it, you may be able to fit a blanking plate to where the deadbolt was fitted. The blanking plate is a fire rated product, or the Strata Company may approve a replacement (fire rated) deadbolt.

Obtaining approval from the Strata Company for a peephole may give you an option to remove the current and fit a new fire rated peephole. Please remember to keep your documents to prove the fire rating of the new fixtures.

Your initial step may be to obtain advice from a locksmith in relation to either blanking off the current installations or replacing them with fire rated products. Whether you want to go with blanking off or new installations you will need to request approval from the Strata Company to be able to progress, and they will want you to identify what you are intending to fit.

I would footnote this response with the fact that this is a general comment, it is not legal advice and the owner may wish to obtain independent legal advice on this matter.

Shelley Fitzgerald
Emerson Raine
E: [email protected]
P: 9330 3959

This post appears in the February 2022 edition of The WA Strata Magazine.

Question: If a complex was not required to have fire equipment prior to WA Strata Act changes, do they now need to undertake a fire report to ensure they are meeting fire regulations?

Answer: Regardless of what systems you think are in place, you should carry out a fire report to ensure any existing fire safety measures are correctly maintained according to their relevant standard.

This is a very broad topic in terms of ‘fire equipment’ and for the purpose of this question, I think it best that we also include passive fire systems such as fire doors and firewalls in this discussion.

Depending on the time period in which your scheme was built, to receive a development approval and for the building to be signed off on, the fire safety measures of the day would need to have been included/ met.

Changes to this Building Code do not act retrospectively, so unless large upgrades or by choice of the COO, you would not have any ‘new’ fire protection elements to your scheme.

It is important to note that if you do upgrade your building’s fire safety, for example installing a fire extinguisher, blankets, hose reels etc. you must then forever maintain this piece of equipment per the Australian Standards.

A fire report is designed to inform you and your manager whether all your fire measures have been properly maintained in line with their specific standards.

What I would stress is that regardless of what systems you think are in place, you still carry out a fire report to ensure any existing fire safety measures (such as fire doors that you may not be aware of) are correctly maintained according to their relevant standard. This fire report will then provide you and your manager with a comprehensive list of the systems in your building that need to be maintained.

Dakota Panetta
Solutions in Engineering
E: [email protected]
P: 1300 136 036

This post appears in Strata News #533.

Question: I’m on the COO of an older apartment building in Perth and we don’t have onsite extinguishers. What are the WA building fire safety regulations pertaining to older strata building complexes?

I’m on the COO of an older building in Perth and we don’t have onsite extinguishers. I have always been told that we were established prior to the building fire safety regulations in WA. What is the WA regulation pertaining to older building complexes?

Answer: Fire safety measures are not retrospective.

Fire safety measures are not retrospective. However, the COO have a duty of care to provide a safe environment for occupants and contractors. I recommend that you read the WA government fact sheet for fire safety in apartment buildings.

Greg McCulloch
FVS Services Group
E: [email protected]
P: 0413 228 224

This post appears in the March 2021 edition of The WA Strata Magazine.

Question: Can you force an owner to allow you access? What happens if you can prove that you tried to get access for a fire inspection and the lot owner wouldn’t provide access?

Can you force an owner to allow you access relating to inspections for building fire safety regulations? What happens if you can prove that you tried to get access for a fire inspection and they wouldn’t provide access.

If there was a fire, how would you address this? Or in the case of major water ingress due to old hoses, etc, and the owner denying access to assess and attend to the damage?

Answer: We document the original request. We document when our technician was on site. We document where they couldn’t get in. You can’t force anyone to be home.

Yep, so we document everything. We document the original request we document when our technician was on site, and we document where they couldn’t get in. For our protection, we definitely leave a solid trail.

You can’t force anyone to be home and things happen to people. They might have had the best intentions to be there but they weren’t. It only becomes a problem if there’s an incident, but you can’t turn the clock back.

It’s really difficult for us because we get this all day every day when we’re out on jobs. We just can’t get access. So yeah, we note it.

We always offer the strata manager or the owner that they can get back in contact with us and we will come back and do the test again for them. But it is disappointing how often that offer isn’t taken up, because, people are busy doing other things and it’s not a concern and they think ‘That’s never going to happen to me’.

Greg McCulloch
FVS Services Group
E: [email protected]
P: 0413 228 224

This post appears in the March 2021 edition of The WA Strata Magazine.

Question: Will quoting for fire services cover long term maintenance items like how often the fire panel batteries need to be replaced or the 10 year replacement of smoke detectors, etc?

Answer: Generally with fire services, it’s only the required testing to be done within one year that is included in the quote.

Generally with fire services, it’s only the required testing to be done within one year that is included in the quote. Different types of fire systems have different requirements.

Generally, the longer term items are not included in a standard pricing model. They’re quoted as they come up. Which is another scope of works that you can put out to tender so that you don’t feel that you’re locked into your current maintenance contractor. You can test the market.

As far as the batteries, generally we would recommend that every two years they be replaced but every year as part of the annual test they get load tested. If they’ve failed or if they look like they’re getting a bit low, we would flag that.

Greg McCulloch
FVS Services Group
E: [email protected]
P: 0413 228 224

This post appears in Strata News #431.

Question: If you have a leaky fire hose in a strata complex, is it sufficient if advised by the Council to leave it until the next fire service? Or, to comply with building fire safety regulations in WA, should this be rectified immediately?

Answer: It’s a judgment call, determined by the size and cause of the leak.

Hose reels have to be inspected every six months, so I’m assuming that you have a fire contractor on site that is doing maintenance in accordance with Australian standard 1851. If so, there will be a six month gap between service work.

It depends on how much water is actually leaking out of the hose reel. If it’s a slow drip (a bit like your bathroom tap dripping), then it’ll either be an o-ring failing in the nozzle of the hose reel or the inlet valve. If that’s the case then you’re only going to get a small amount of water coming out of the hose reel for six months until it gets repaired.

We have had occasions where the actual hose on the hose reel has a split and that will leave a small amount of water but over time because it’s under pressure the split will get bigger and bigger, and then you’re going to end up with a big water problem.

It’s a bit of a judgment call to try and determine where the leak is coming from, and if it looks like it’s just dripping out of the end of the hose rule then yea you can leave it for six months until the service technician arrives.

Greg McCulloch
FVS Services Group
E: [email protected]
P: 0413 228 224

This post appears in Strata News #400.

Question: Can the strata company make the lot owner accountable to check internal smoke alarms if the management statement says ‘these need to be checked annually’?

Answer: The short answer is no.

The short answer is no.

I can’t think of what penalty you could apply against an owner for not checking the smoke alarm even though it’s a fair and reasonable request.

Most smoke alarms have a nine volt battery in them, and that battery will run out of life after a couple of years and then make that annoying ‘beep’. That’s generally the thing that triggers somebody to actually go and test the alarm and put a new battery in it. That would be the worst case situation.

However, the latest smoke alarms actually have rechargeable batteries. So as long as you have power on them for a period of time, the batteries aren’t going to eventually have a low life and then make that annoying ‘beeping’ noise. So then you are reliant on the tenant doing Annual test.

I don’t know of a way of forcing somebody to do the test.

Greg McCulloch
FVS Services Group
E: [email protected]
P: 0413 228 224

This post appears in Strata News #399.

Question: We have regular false fire alarms in our new building. What can we do so that we are not constantly being disturbed by false fire alarms?

We have a large modern mixed use building that has several false fire alarms due to the building being over specked. What is the process to have the original Fire Service dumbed down so that we’re not constantly being disturbed by false fire alarms? The number and type of heat smoke sensors installed.

Answer: Engage an independent fire engineer to come out and assess the building.

The starting point for that is to get the original building design information. In most modern buildings these days (at the design stage) a fire engineer would have been engaged. The fire engineer looks at a holistic view of the building, and they have scope to vary the requirements of the building code of Australia.

You might have a high level fire detection system because you don’t have another piece of fire equipment that was in the building code of his tribe but the fire engineer will have deemed that the fire detection system that you have will cover the requirement of whatever the other piece of fire equipment that has been left out.

If possible, if the lot owner can get a hold of the original building design documents, look at the fire engineering report and see what was specified. Then, to get it sorted out, engage another fire engineer to come out and have a look at the building and get their assessment on it.

As the false alarms are annoying, there are some things you can do within the fire detection system to alleviate these false alarms. There’s a thing called alarm verification, so you need to alarms before the system will actually activate the sound which will call out the fire brigade, but that will be determined by the fire engineer.

Greg McCulloch
FVS Services Group
E: [email protected]
P: 0413 228 224

This post appears in Strata News #402.

Question: I live in a Perth Building and wonder if you know of a company that can run an annual evacuation drill for our strata building. If so, how much would that be?

Answer: FVS Services Group provides that service.

Yes.

FVS Services Group provides that service. We do this type of training a lot, and the cost is $450 for one session.

There’s some information on our website that describes what’s entailed in the Fire Safety Training.

Greg McCulloch
FVS Services Group
E: [email protected]
P: 0413 228 224

This post appears in Strata News #401.

WA: Are Your Fire Systems Really Compliant with WA Building Fire Safety Regulations?

Most fire service companies only allow to carry out routine maintenance that is required by Australian Standard 1851 to be done in yearly cycles. For example, fire detection systems are required to undergo a series of tests every month, every six months more tests are done and then once a year a more complex test is required. Fire sprinkler systems have a similar requirement.

Australian Standard 1851 also requires some fire systems to have long term tests to be completed – 5, 10, 25 and 30 years. Your existing service company should notify you when the additional tests are required, however, this can be difficult if they don’t know the full service history of the building.

Lot owners have a duty of care to ensure building services are always operating effectively and are compliant. The strata manager or a responsible person on the council of owners should understand what tests are required and when they fall due. This is also very important should a fire incident occur as the insurance company will review the service records, if all the required inspections and maintenance has not been completed then it is likely your claim will be denied.

Contact your fire services company to request a quotation for the additional tests. This could be thousands of dollars. In most cases you can engage an alternative company to carry out the additional work without breaching your contract with the existing provider, so obtain additional quotations to ensure you minimise cost.

Greg McCulloch
FVS Services Group
E: [email protected]
P: 0413 228 224

This post appears in the August 2020 edition of the WA Strata Magazine.

WA: Is the Fire Detection System in Your Building Monitored?

Please note: this information was provided prior to the proclamation of the new strata title amendments.

All Fire Sprinkler systems must be connected to a fire station dispatch centre, however, not all Fire Detection systems automatically signal the Fire Brigade to come to the premises.

The Building Code of Australia requires Fire Detection systems to be connected to a fire station dispatch centre in these buildings;

• Class 3 – Residential buildings providing long-term or transient accommodation for a number of unrelated persons.
• Class 9a – Health Care buildings that accommodates more than 20 patients.
• Class 9c – Residential Care buildings.

If You Have Fire Detection Systems Installed, Will The Fire Brigade Come?

Many other buildings have Fire Detection systems installed to protect the building occupants. Occupants could assume that if there is a Fire Indicator Panel in the foyer of their building that the Fire Brigade will automatically be signalled. This is not the case.

Some building owners elect to have a connection to the Fire Brigade outside of legislative requirements for insurance purposes or for peace of mind. To confirm if the Fire Brigade will be automatically called you can check if the Fire Indicator Panel is fitted with a Code Red unit. If a Code Red unit is not fitted, then the Fire Brigade will not be automatically called.

Some Fire Detection systems signal the building’s security monitoring station and many others don’t signal an external service. It is important for Building Managers and Council of Owners to understand what automatic action will take place in the event of a fire and ensure the building’s Emergency Plan includes calling the Fire Brigade on 000 to guarantee they will turn out to provide assistance.

Greg McCulloch
FVS Services Group
E: [email protected]
P: 0413 228 224

This post appears in Strata News #321.

WA: Have you had your smoke and fire barriers inspected this year?

Please note: this information was provided prior to the proclamation of the new strata title amendments.

The purpose of a building’s passive fire and smoke system is to contain both fire and smoke to one location by preventing it from spreading from barrier to barrier. In a building, there are various systems, such as firewalls, smoke barriers, fire doors and firestopping to help minimise property damage and providing a safe evacuation path for occupants. These systems are required to be inspected, tested and serviced to ensure the compartment integrity and its vertical and horizontal barriers have retained the designed fire-resistance level (FRL).

• Walls
• Floors
• Ceilings
• Access Panels
• Control Joints
• Service Penetrations

Australian Standard 1851 requires these to be inspected annually.

Fire Walls

A firewall is an internal or external fire-resistance-rated wall designed to contain a fire within the area of its origin for a set amount of time. Firewalls extend continuously from the base of the building all the way to the roof. They are built with significant structural stability, which allows for firewalls to remain standing if the rest of the construction were to collapse.

Smoke Barriers

A smoke barrier is a continuous membrane that is designed and constructed to restrict the passage of smoke. They can either be vertical, like a wall or horizontal, like a floor or ceiling.

Service Penetrations

During construction and over the course of a year various service contractors will make penetrations in walls, ceilings, floors and other structural components of your building. Commonly these penetrations are made for communication cables, plumbing services, mechanical services etc. Many contractors do not attend to the appropriate fire stopping procedures if at all. Gaps and holes from penetrating items allow for both fire and smoke to spread quickly throughout the building.

Firestopping has become a key component of a building’s overall fire and life safety system. Firestop materials are used to seal up any spaces that surround penetrating items, such as plastic pipes or wires. These items will even melt or change shape during a fire, which is why some firestop materials will also expand in the presence of heat. This swelling action seals and stops the spread of fire and smoke to other rooms and even floors within a building.

Unfortunately, the main cause of failure in fire barriers is unprotected or improperly protected openings from penetrations. If a building’s fire barriers have not been properly maintained, fire and smoke will spread quickly causing unnecessary property damage as well as putting people’s lives in danger.

Common Firestopping Issues:

• Incomplete firestopping
• Mixing manufacturer’s products
• Improper Installation

Contact a reputable company to carry out an inspection to ensure your building is safe and complies with building fire safety regulations in WA.

Greg McCulloch
FVS Services Group
E: [email protected]
P: 0413 228 224

This post appears in Strata News #316.

WA: Emergency Planning – Are You Prepared?

Please note: this information was provided prior to the proclamation of the new strata title amendments.

On average there are 10 fires every year in multi-storey residential buildings in Western Australia.

Building owners and occupiers should be familiar with the evacuation procedures in their building and importantly, what to do in case of a fire. Emergency planning for evacuation, in the event of a fire, will differ from building to building.

Further guidance on emergency evacuation can be found in Australian Standard AS 3745 Planning for emergencies in facilities. The standard provides information on developing an emergency plan and evacuation diagrams for buildings. The Fire Protection Association Australia provides information on emergency evacuation and can provide contact details of relevant practitioners who can assist in developing emergency plans.

Factors to Consider for a Fire Emergency Plan

• Awareness Raising

The owner, or building management body, should clearly communicate the building’s evacuation procedures to the occupants. This could include providing relevant information in meetings, through newsletters, flyers, and notices around the building.

• Fire Emergency Plan Floor Plan And Evacuation Diagram

Floor plans, indicating the position of emergency stairs, exits, emergency equipment and general instructions for occupants, should be prominently displayed in each floor level or area. Each floor plan should also indicate the primary assembly area and evacuation routes.

• Fire Evacuation Drills

Conducting regular emergency based exercises assists in raising familiarity with exit routes and identifying any improvements that can be implemented for evacuation. It may be useful to have an appointed fire warden for the building, keeping a register and mobile phone contact for each occupier/owner of each individual unit in the building. This way everyone can be accounted for in an emergency evacuation.

• Not Using Lifts

Lifts should not be used in the event of a fire, unless forming part of an approved performance solution for the building.

• Firefighting Training

Apartment buildings should generally contain fire hose reels and portable fire extinguishers in common areas to allow occupants to undertake an initial attack on a fire. It is important to become familiar with where extinguishers are located and how to use them. However, if it is not possible or safe to extinguish a fire then occupants should immediately evacuate the building to a place of safety.

• Notifying Others

Only if it is safe to do so, notify:

• • Other occupants in the building that there is a fire and they need to evacuate; and
  • The fire brigade by dialling triple zero (000).

• Being Familiar with The Fire Alarm Tones

Different sounds may be heard in a unit or throughout the building such as doorbells, smoke alarms within individual units, ringtones, alarm clocks and security system sounder. Occupants should be familiar with the sound of the alert tone and the evacuation tone from the building’s fire warning system.

• Recovery

An often forgotten part of an emergency plan is what happens after the incident. It is dangerous to re-enter a building after a fire. Occupants should only do so when the fire brigade advises that it is safe. It is likely that power will not be available and other services may be damaged. Building managers should have contact information readily available for the insurance company, electrician, plumber, fire services etc. It is important that the owner / occupant contact register is maintained to ensure real time communication can be provided.

Greg McCulloch
FVS Services Group
E: [email protected]
P: 0413 228 224

This post appears in Strata News #271.

WA: False Fire Alarms – Top Tips to Avoid a Financial Penalty

Please note: this information was provided prior to the proclamation of the new strata title amendments.

In 2015-16 the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) commenced charging for false fire alarm attendances. The fee is part of an overall DFES strategy to minimise the number of false fire alarms attended by firefighters. A false fire alarm is when DFES is alerted to attend a premises in response to an alarm where there is no fire.

The aim of the fee is to encourage owners and occupants to take appropriate steps to avoid false fire alarm activations occurring at their premises. Owners and occupants need to understand their responsibilities where a monitored fire alarm system is installed within their premises.

Around one-third of incidents attended by firefighters are false alarms – that’s about 10,000 incidents per year. This equates to approximately 27 each day. Notifications are issued to property owners for the first three attendances before an invoice is sent upon the fourth and consecutive attendances. The current charge is $920. Since the scheme began more than 7,000 invoices have been issued.

What is a False Fire Alarm?

A false fire alarm is when DFES attends a premises in response to an alarm where there is no fire. False fire alarms disrupt the community; cause complacency and business downtime due to evacuations, and divert responders away from genuine emergencies, which could potentially lead to loss of life and property. DFES is legally required by the Fire Brigades Act 1942 to attend to a call of fire.

Main Cause of False Alarms?

The causes of false alarms vary due to the nature and use of a building. For the most part, false alarms can occur due to human behaviour, environmental contaminants, system errors and lack of maintenance. As a result, these false alarms have financial and social impacts on the community.

The main causes of false fire alarms are:

• Smoke from burning food and steam from cooking and showers.
• Aerosol sprays (i.e. deodorant and hair spray).
• Cigarette smoke and candles.
• Dust.
• Building works, tradespeople and cleaners.
• Incorrectly located smoke detectors.
• Poorly maintained fire systems.

Whose Responsibility is it to Maintain a Fire Alarm System?

The owner of the premises is responsible for ensuring the fire alarm system and detectors are correctly installed, comply with relevant Australian Standards (AS), suitably placed and is regularly maintained in accordance with Australian Standard 1851. The owner must also ensure the fire alarm system is sufficient and adequate for the current floor plan, layout and purpose of the premises.

The tenant of the premises must ensure the fire detectors are free of items that may cause a false fire alarm such as cobwebs, dust and insects.

Manage Your Site to Avoid False Alarms

Top Tips For Residents:

Be aware of where all fire detectors are in your home and ensure all reasonable measures are taken to avoid false alarm activation. Smoke detectors are extremely sensitive and steam from showers, smoke from burning food, even sprays from aerosol cans such as deodorant and hairspray can set them off.

• DO NOT leave cooking unattended.
• DO NOT walk away from a toaster that is in use, check toaster settings prior to use that has been set to further darken/cook toast.
• DO NOT smoke near smoke detectors.
• DO NOT use aerosol sprays near smoke detectors.
• DO ventilate steam and fumes away from smoke detectors, particularly from bathrooms and kitchens. Switch on fans and open vents and windows before cooking or showering.

Top Tips For Building Owners and Managers:

It is important all detectors are installed correctly and comply with the relevant Australian Standards, are sufficient and adequate for the premises current floor plan and layout, are specific to the buildings current purpose and occupancy requirements and are maintained in accordance with Australian Standard 1851.

• DO understand your fire alarm system, detector type and location.
• DO ensure sufficient ventilation for steam and fumes is installed, particularly in bathrooms and kitchens.
• DO educate your tenants, staff and visitors to understand your building is protected by an automatic fire alarm system and there is a possibility of a false alarm.
• DO manage work activities that produce dust, heat, smoke, etc. to ensure a detector is not activated.
• DO contact your fire maintenance company to isolate detectors in areas of work as you may need to isolate specific and surrounding detectors so dust, fumes, spraying or steam cleaning doesn’t set alarms off.
• DO maintain a detailed log of all false alarms. This can expose causal factors, such as occupant or system behavioural patterns and faulty components.
• DO ensure your fire alarm system is tested and maintained by a professional fire services company.

Greg McCulloch
FVS Services Group
E: [email protected]
P: 0413 228 224

This post appears in Strata News #260.

Question: Can you please guide me as to the ruling on evacuation notices? To comply with building fire safety regulations in WA, where should they be placed and is there a size regulation?

Answer: The number and location within a facility should be determined by that facilities Emergency Planning Committee.

Please note: this response was provided prior to the proclamation of the new strata title amendments.

Australian Standard 3745-2010 – Planning for emergencies in facilities

The number and location within a facility should be determined by that facilities Emergency Planning Committee.

The following is the minimum requirements for a drawing:

• A pictorial representation of the floor or area, which shall be at least 200mm x 150mm
• The title ‘Evacuation Diagram’
• The ‘You are Here’ location
• The designated exits in the facility, which shall be green
• Where installed:
  
  • WIPs, MCPs and ECPs
  • Hose reels, which shall be red
  • Hydrants, which shall be red
  • Extinguishers which shall be red with an appropriate colour for type
  • Fire Blanket which shall be red
  • Fire Indicator Panel

• Validity date (Drawings should be reviewed every 5 years)
• Location of assembly area(s), either stated in words or pictorially represented
• A legend which reflects symbols used

If need be our training coordinator can assist the owner to prepare the drawing.

Greg McCulloch
FVS Services Group
E: [email protected]
P: 0413 228 224

This post appears in Strata News #251.

Have a question about WA Building Fire Safety Regulations or something to add to the article? Leave a comment below.

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