Fire Safety Smoke

As part of our efforts to provide a safe home for your family, ACHL provides a smoke alarm in all capital properties, making sure that the number of alarms (and where they are positioned) meets legal requirements.

We will also try and persuade the owners of our leasehold properties to do the same thing. Where owners of leasehold properties will not agree to install hard-wired smoke alarms.

Evacuation plans

The NSW Fire Brigades reminds people not only to install smoke alarms in their home, but to also have a home evacuation plan in case of fire. When a smoke alarm is activated, you must know exactly how to get out of the house and have a safe place to meet. Work out what your evacuation plan will be in a fire emergency. Each member of the household should know what to do and where to meet. It will give everyone a better chance of getting out alive and reduce his or her level of panic. Draw your plan on a piece of paper, discuss it with your family and practice your escape plan. Important: If you have deadlocks on your doors, the NSW Fire Brigades recommends that you keep the key in the latch (in the panic of a fire emergency, you will not have the time to search for keys) Window grills and bars, some of our tenants have asked for permission to install grills or bars on their windows to improve security. These grills may improve security but they are also a severe fire hazard, as they can prevent you and your family from safely evacuating your home in an emergency. The NSW Fire Brigades reminds people not only to install smoke alarms in their home, but to also have a home evacuation plan in case of fire. When a smoke alarmis activated, you must know exactly how to get out of the house and have a safe place to meet. Work out what your evacuation plan will be in a fire emergency. Each member of the household should know what to do and where to meet. It will give everyone a better chance of getting out alive and reduce his or her level of panic. Draw your plan on a piece of paper, discuss it with your family and practice your escape plan.

Facts about house fires………..

• It takes less than 30 seconds for a small flame to turn into a large fire.
• A house fire is most likely to occur between the time of midnight and 8.00am
• Children aged under four and older people are at greatest risk in house fires
• Almost 85 per cent of house fires are accidental
• The leading cause of death in fires is asphyxiation, fire victims rarely see flames.
• The heat from fires can melt clothes and scorch lungs in a single breath.
• House fires quickly degenerate into black, smoke…impossible to see through.

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