Did you know that new smoke alarm legislation commenced on 1 January 2017?

New laws regarding the installation of photoelectric smoke alarms in all Queensland homes came into effect on 1 January 2017 in response to the 2011 Slacks Creek fatal house fire, and will ensure the State’s households are among the safest in the country.

Under the new legislation, every Queensland residence will need to be fitted with photoelectric, interconnected smoke alarms in all bedrooms of the home as well as in hallways or between areas containing bedrooms. The 10-year phased rollout of the legislation will give Queenslanders time to ensure they have the right alarms and they are correctly located and installed.

Although some residents will have up to 10 years to comply with the changes, everyone should take action to update their alarm systems as soon as possible and make sure their new alarms comply with Australian Standard AS3786 for photoelectric smoke alarms.

Residents are also advised to review their fire escape plans and have a family discussion on how your family will escape your home in the event of a fire.

QFES has a free Safehome program where Queenslanders can request a visit from local firefighters who will advise them of the best locations for smoke alarms and suggest other fire safety initiatives around the home. To request a Safehome visit call 13QGOV (13 74 68) or visit the Safehome website.

More information on the smoke alarm legislation can be found at the QFES website and on the QFES Information Sheet – Photoelectric Smoke Alarms.

Further information about fire escape plans can be found here.