Deniliquin Fire and Rescue firefighters have been visiting homes in Deniliquin over the past two months, installing free smoke alarms where needed and helping residents with other home fire safety issues.
So far, firefighters have visited 55 homes in Deniliquin, with only three not needing any new alarms fitted or batteries replaced.
Already the brigade has installed 100 free smoke alarms in homes, with another 50 houses on a list from people requesting inspections.
Deniliquin Fire and Rescue captain Glenn Carr said the results of the campaign so far had been surprising.
“We’re concerned about the statistics are in relation to non-operational or missing alarms,” he said.
Since June 1, there have been almost 400 house fires in NSW.
Of these 44 per cent did not have a working smoke alarm, with 20 per cent not having a smoke alarm at all.
Mr Carr said in Deniliquin, of the houses brigade members have inspected so far, 20 per cent did not have any smoke alarms installed.
Overall 95 per cent had smoke alarms that were either not operating, installed incorrectly or were in inappropriate locations, Mr Carr said.
“It surprised us. No doubt it will surprise the general public.
“In some homes we put three or four detectors in and repaired others.”
While Mr Carr said legislation said every home needed a minimum of at least one smoke alarm, the reality was two of more were needed in many homes.
He said firefighters had installed more in homes of elderly people or those with mobility issues.
“We don’t want to just do the minimum (requirements,” he said.
“We want to protect our community.”
He warned that it was not only older homes that did not have working smoke alarms or enough of them. Firefighters also found homes that were only two or three years old where smoke detectors did not work.
“This isn’t just old homes … this is across the board,” he said.
It was not all doom and gloom though, with Mr Carr saying he was pleased so many households had taken up the opportunity to have the free home fire safety inspections, with more than 100 homes already on a list to be inspected.
“We’re pleased with the uptake,” he said.
“We’re alarmed there are so many in the community not working.”
Mr Carr said the program was something Deniliquin firefighters had not taken part in for a long time and it was a way of making homes safer in the event of a fire.
“It’s not about stopping the house fire, it’s about saving lives,” he said.
“If all we have to do is go to put out a house fire, then that’s great. If there are no alarms then there could be people inside.”
Mr Carr urged those still on the brigades list for fire safety inspections to be patient, with firefighters working their way through the list.
He expects those who have already put their names down for a free inspection to be seen by the end of July.
He also said other Deniliquin households who had not already requested an inspection could still do so.
To book a home fire safety inspection in Deniliquin, visit www.fire.nsw.gov.au/page.php?id=9316 or phone Mr Carr on 0407 787 146.
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