An Annual Fire Safety Statement is lodged with Council every year; this statement can only be issued if your building meets the minimum fire safety requirements required by law at the time of construction of that building. All Essential Fire Safety Measures that are required within the building will be shown on a Fire Safety Schedule that is held by council; these measures must be included on the certificate and certified to be capable of meeting the standard to which they were installed. Some buildings built before 1988 do not require an Annual Fire Safety Statement however those buildings are still required by law to maintain fire safety measures to the same minimum standards.
An Annual Fire Safety Certificate is a certificate that is issued to the owner of the property or their agents by the company that carries out the servicing of the Essential Fire Safety measures. This certificate certifies that the essential Fire Safety Measures shown on the certificate have been serviced as per the Standard shown on the certificate (Usually AS1851). This certificate does not certify the fact that the equipment was installed in the correct manner.
An Ionisation smoke alarm detects fast flaming fires however they take longer to respond to smouldering fires whereas a Photoelectric smoke alarm detects slow burning smouldering fires significantly earlier than ionisation smoke alarms. As a result of early detection, occupants are able to escape the property safely while the level of smoke is low and the air is breathable. For this reason All Fired Up would recommend that Photoelectric smoke alarms be installed in residential properties.
Fire and Rescue Authorities across Australia recommend the use of photoelectric smoke alarms when installing new and replacing existing smoke alarms. With the safety of all of our clients and customers in mind, All Fired Up have adopted a policy to use only top quality Australian Standards approved photoelectric smoke alarms in every property serviced.
Safety requirements include things like working smoke alarms in each unit and throughout common areas, fire approved self-closing safety doors and door frames with approved hardware, properly pressurized fire extinguishers, working fire hydrants and sprinkler systems and working emergency and exit lighting systems. The requirements for your building will be specific to the size, structure and nature of use of your building.
Some fire safety measures will need very little maintenance such as fire doors and sprinkler systems whereas other measures require regular maintenance such as smoke alarm batteries, emergency and exit light globes/batteries and fire extinguishers which require pressure testing or replacement every five years.
If you put your building in All Fired Up’s care we thoroughly inspect your building to ensure that it meets and, where practical, exceed the minimum legal requirements to ensure both the safety of your building and its residents from fire hazards. We aim to keep your ongoing fire safety maintenance costs as low as possible.
Sometimes our initial quote after a first inspection can be a bit daunting (usually if fire safety measures have not been adequately maintained in the past). However generally speaking once the building is brought up to standard and a good maintenance regime put into place the long term costs of keeping your fire safety measures up to date will reduce significantly. We have been able to, and aim to, issue buildings with Annual Fire Safety Statements without raising a single defect.
The Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW) and the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2000 (NSW) provide for fire safety measures and requirements to be imposed on buildings for the protection of people and the environment from fire.
These requirements are monitored and enforced by Local Councils who have the power to fine building owners or in serious cases even condemn the building for failing to comply with fire safety requirements.
All Fired Up provides experienced and well trained technicians to inspect test and maintain your building and ensure that it meets all fire safety requirements thereby avoiding fines and other penalties, not to mention making your building as safe as possible from fire damage in the unfortunate event of a fire.
The main fire safety requirement that you have to comply with every year is obtaining an Annual Fire Safety Statement. This statement can only be issued if your building meets the minimum fire safety requirements required by law. Some buildings built before 1988 do not require an Annual Fire Safety Statement however those buildings are still required by law to maintain fire safety measures to the same minimum standards.
Smoke alarm batteries should be replaced annually, you should choose a date or event that will prompt you to remember this and change the battery on this day each year. Many people recommend the start of Day Light Saving as an event that will prompt this. Most smoke alarms take a 9 volt battery – these are the small rectangular batteries with the male and female lugs on the top of them. The smoke alarm will sense if the backup battery is low and will emit a Chirping sound approximately every 30 seconds, should this happen simply change the battery and this should silence the chirping.