Photoelectric – the smoke alarm type most likely to save your life

Question

Australians were reminded this week on Nine Network morning news programme Today of the importance of choosing the right smoke alarm to protect their family, and once again it is the photoelectric type.

Compared to the older ionisation technology, working photoelectric smoke alarms provide an earlier activation and warning of a smouldering fire, giving occupants valuable extra minutes to escape before it becomes a life-threatening blaze.

Furthermore, photoelectric smoke alarms are less likely to make false alarms, which can lead to complacency and occupants removing their batteries which then render them useless.

On Today, the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Acting Assistant Commissioner, Neil Reid, said “all fire services throughout Australasia support photoelectric smoke alarms”, and Family First agrees and also supports the push to make them legally required in homes. Currently there is no specification as to which type must be installed.

Decades of experience

The team behind Family First have dealt with consumer fire safety protection for more than two decades, and were one of the first advocates of the latest in fire detection technology.

Through continual international product research and development, finding that photoelectric smoke alarms were vastly superior to existing products on the market and would help save more lives, Family First was the first brand to push for this new technology to become standard in major retail hardware chains.

Family First is the brand of choice with the Melbourne Metropolitan Fire Brigade for their photoelectric smoke alarms with 10-year lithium batteries, offering long-lasting protection and assurance, which are supplied to over 60 local councils and community organisations across greater Melbourne.

Family First products undergo stringent testing by the CSIRO to achieve Australian Standards qualification, a requirement before they can be sold to the public. Other products in our comprehensive range of smoke alarms include economical 9-volt replaceable batteries and 240 volt interconnectable types, all with a ten-year replacement warranty.

Helping you maintain your smoke alarms

Finally, it is simple fact that only working smoke alarms can save lives, and so they must be tested regularly. Family First have also introduced a free reminder service to help Australians keep on top of this requirement, Test Alarm, and registration is available at testalarm.com.au. Anyone can register for this service, no matter which brand smoke alarm you use.