It's that time of year again, where residents are being urged to be fire ready by jointly ‘Sounding the Alarm.’
The 2023 winter campaign launched by Fire and Rescue NSW encourages residents to get fire safety at the front of their minds, with the easy first step of ensuring households have working smoke alarms.
Working smoke alarms saves lives.
According to NRMA Insurance the fire risk increases by 15 per cent in the winter months compared to Autumn due to residents using more household appliances like heaters and fireplaces.
Additionally, just last winter, 16 deaths were recorded in NSW due to house fires with 12 of them deemed preventable.
“Most fires in the home are preventable and it is devastating to see the injuries and fatalities that do occur from these fires,” said Tom Cooper, FRNSW Superintendent.
“Now [June] is the time to get fire safety in the front of your mind by checking your home and checking your smoke alarms.
“If you’re not sure, go to your nearest fire station and ask them to do a home fire safety visit.”
By law, smoke alarms should be working and hard-wired, with renters advised to speak to their landlord or real estate agency immediately if they are not.
Rule of thumb is a smoke alarm should be replaced every 10 years and if they are yellow, it is a probable indication they out of date.
You can find more information on fire safety and prevention here: https://www.fire.nsw.gov.au/page.php?id=879