Contributed by Kara Dubois
NOTIFY US OF YOUR PLANNED BURN
Staying at home and doing a bit of property maintenance? If you’re planning to burn on your property, such as a pile burn, you need to let us know before you light up. Notifying us of your planned burn can help reduce unnecessary emergency calls.
You also need to let your neighbours know at least 24 hours ahead of time. You can easily notify the RFS of your planned burn activity by scanning the QR code below and filling out the form.
For more information about planned burns, visit https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-information/BFDP/burn-notifications
CHECK YOUR SMOKE ALARM
The risk of a fatality in a home fire is halved if there is a working smoke alarm in a residential dwelling.
Did you know, its been over 10 years since smoke alarms became law across NSW but most smoke alarms don’t last 10 years.
Why you need a smoke alarm:
• It’s the law to have at least one working smoke alarm installed on every level of your home.
• Electrical appliances and faults cause almost 40% of home fires.
• When you’re asleep you won’t smell the smoke from a fire.
• Every year, smoke alarms alert hundreds of NSW families to fires in their homes, allowing them a safe escape.
What you need to do:
• Test your smoke alarm batteries every month by pressing and holding the test button for at least five seconds until you hear the beeps.
• Vacuum dust off your smoke alarms every six months. Keeping your smoke alarm free of particles to help reduce false alarms and ensure smoke can easily reach the internal sensor.
• Replace lead or alkaline batteries every 12 months.
• Replace all smoke alarms with new 10-year lithium powered smoke alarms every 10 years, or earlier if specified by the manufacturer.
• Strobe light and vibrating pad smoke alarms are available for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. For more information, contact the Deaf Society of NSW on 02 8833 3600.
For more information on smoke alarms, visit: www.fire.nsw.gov.au GALSTON BRIGADE CONTACT DETAILS: Duty mobile: 0491 119 152 Email: [email protected]
