As you prepare to change your clocks this weekend, Shoreham CFA wants you to take the opportunity to check your smoke alarms and ensure they are in good working condition.
Only working smoke alarms save lives, and that is the message Country Fire Authority (CFA) and Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) are telling all Victorians as the state turns its clocks back when Daylight Saving ends at 3am on Sunday 2 April.
To check your smoke alarm, press ‘test’ and wait for the beeping sound, then each month continue to test, vacuum, and dust your alarm to remove any particles that may affect its performance.
CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan said it is essential that families conduct monthly testing of their smoke alarms to keep their loved ones safe.
“Without a working smoke alarm in all living and sleeping areas of your house, you may not wake if there is a fire”
Chief Officer Heffernan
We know that in the last 10 years, CFA members have responded to more than 14,000 residential fires that have seen 490 casualties. We want to see that number drop significantly.
The Shoreham Brigade has seen the benefits of smoke alarms firsthand.
In July 2022, awoken by the sounds of a screaming smoke detector in the very early hours of the morning, the occupants of a Merricks property were confronted with their worst nightmare.
Accidently leaving an outside gas appliance on after cooking dinner, the significant heat generated transferred through a brick wall – causing the internal timber frame to ignite after everyone had gone to bed.
Once awake and after the initial shock, the quick action of the owners to alert the CFA and attack the fire as best they could pending our arrival certainly contributed to minimisation of damage.
Appliances arrived from Balnarring, Shoreham, Somers and Red Hill and crews worked frantically to control and extinguish the blaze.
THE MESSAGE
Without the smoke alarms working, this situation could have been far worse. Fortunately, the integrated smoke alarms that were installed did their job !
ACTION TO TAKE NOW
This weekend, take the time to inspect your own smoke alarms and make sure they are in good working order.
Story provided by Balnarring CFA
For further information, please refer to the CFA News & Media article here:
End of Daylight Saving a reminder to check your smoke alarms