Amid FRNSW’s annual “Be Fire Safe” winter campaign, the fire service’s research shows the risk of a residential fire during these colder months rises significantly if you meet one of the following factors: Over 65 years of age, male, drinks alcohol, smokes, lives alone, prone to clutter.
00:00Here today, we're going to talk about who's at risk from fire in New South Wales, okay?
00:11So straight away, who here is over 65 years of age?
00:17Okay?
00:18So we're talking pretty much the whole room.
00:21Leave your hands up for a sec.
00:22Before we leave them up.
00:23We're talking pretty much the whole room, okay?
00:26So you automatically are at risk of a fatality fire in New South Wales.
00:32We know that.
00:33We are staff.
00:34So everybody you have to hand up, automatically you're at higher risk to be a fatality in New South Wales from fire.
00:41So what we know is that in the last five years, one in every two fatalities has been someone over the age of 65.
00:50Now if you're a male and over 65, put your hand up again.
00:53All right, so if you're a male and over 65, you're at even greater risk.
01:00You are more likely to die in a house fire than people under 65 and then females who are over 65.
01:07So you're a higher risk.
01:09We know that people living with disabilities are a higher risk.
01:12We know that in the last few years, 47% of persons with disabilities have made up the numbers of persons with disabilities in our fatality fire numbers.
01:22Okay?
01:22Now again, we know that longevity brings disability.
01:27Okay, so a biggest point from today, the biggest lesson we want to cover in the whole day.
01:34If I only got to cover one thing, this would be it.
01:37Tell me, hands up, who has a working smoke alarm?
01:40Who has a smoke alarm first?
01:42Who has a smoke alarm at home?
01:44All right.
01:44Okay, so everyone's happy to be honest because you need a working smoke alarm.
01:49Leave your hand up if it works.
01:53Okay, so there's a lot of people very confident that it works.
01:56Leave your hand up if you've tested it recently.
01:59Okay, not as many hands.
02:01There's still quite a few.
02:02Okay, and how often should we test it?
02:05Let's say we test it for us six months.
02:08Twelve months.
02:09Someone suggested twelve months.
02:11Okay, let's start at twelve.
02:12Have you tested the last twelve months?
02:14Okay, that's most of the room.
02:16What about the last six months?
02:19So a few more.
02:20What about last month?
02:23Okay, two and three.
02:25So Fire Risk New South Wales recommend that you test your smoke alarm every month.
02:30All right?
02:31I know by law when they do a unit block and things like that, it's annually.
02:35But if you live in the home, you should be testing your own alarm once a month.
02:39Now, it's very easy.
02:40You get an umbrella, you get a broom, something like that,
02:43and you just put it on the test button and it will make a noise, something like this.
02:47So you can also smell somebody when you're asleep, and it is imperative that you have a working smoke alarm.
02:57Fire Risk New South Wales run a program called Safety Visits.
03:01We will come to your home, we will look at your house for fire risk, or your own fire risk, and we'll give you advice on how to make things better.
03:12We will check your smoke alarm.
03:14So we'll talk more about smoke alarms in a minute, but we'll check your smoke alarm.
03:18If your smoke alarm doesn't work, we're going to give you one for free.
03:22We're not just going to give it to you, we're going to install it for you as well.
03:25We're going to check your smoke alarm for you and make sure it works.
03:29And if it doesn't work, we're going to put a 10-year one in, 10 years.
03:33We're going to put it on the roof, you don't have to touch it for 10 years, I've been checking it, that it works.
03:37Right?
03:38It's a 10-year lithium battery, it's all for free, and we'll put it in.
03:42So there's no reason for you not to book a visit, there's no reason for us not to come and help you out,
03:47but it's all free of charge, and the State Government is supporting it.
03:50We really want to concentrate on a working smoke alarm.
03:53You are far safer if you're in a home with a working smoke alarm.
03:57Okay?
03:57Book a free saving is having an escape plan in your home.
04:01And really what that means is just have a clear pathway.
04:04Don't have everything in the hallway banked up to block your exit.
04:08Alright?
04:08If you live in a house where you have a deadlock front door, have a key in it.
04:13Or have a key near the door.
04:14So in the middle of the night, if you do need to get out, you're not looking around for keys.
04:18Alright?
04:18Just be smart.
04:19Reduce your risk.
04:20Everything you do that's good will reduce your risk.
04:23And you dip, dip, you might forget, and you put it in there.
04:27You can put water in your astro.
04:32Well, the research does show that people over the age of 65 are most at risk during winter,
04:39particularly when it comes to fires.
04:41So it's so important that we have days like today, education days,
04:45where we can give these resources out to our community, to those that are most vulnerable,
04:50so that we know that they're protected.
04:51Fire and Rescue will come to your house, and they will install smoke alarms to make sure that you're safe.
