Interconnected smoke alarms in QLD

Smoke alarms (also often called fire alarms in QLD) are an essential safety feature in any home or building, as they provide an early warning of a fire and can save lives and prevent property damage. However, having just one smoke alarm in your home may not be enough to keep you and your family safe. That’s why Australia’s Queensland (QLD) government has introduced legislation requiring ALL homes in the state to have interconnected smoke alarms installed by 2027.

Interconnected smoke alarms can be either hard-wired smoke alarms, or interlinked wirelessly, so that if one alarm detects smoke, all alarms in the home will sound. This means that if a fire breaks out in one room, the alarm in that room will trigger all the alarms in the home, simultaneously alerting everyone to the danger.

The benefits of interconnected smoke alarms are numerous and great. Firstly, they provide early warning of a fire, giving people more time to evacuate and reducing the risk of injury or death. This is especially important at night when people are asleep, as they may not hear a single smoke alarm in another part of the house. It commonly happens when people sleep with their bedroom doors closed, are negatively affected by drugs or alcohol, or even teenagers with headphones on may not hear a single alarm activate in another room or on another floor of the house – its not as surprising or unlikely as you may think!

Secondly, interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms are more reliable than standalone smoke alarms. Standalone smoke alarms can fail for a number of reasons, including dead batteries or faulty wiring. With interconnected smoke alarms, if one alarm fails, the others will still work, ensuring that the home is fully protected – how good is that!

Thirdly, interconnected smoke alarms allow rapid identification of the fire source within the home. Utilising the integrated ‘hush’ feature (either by pressing the hush / silence button on any alarm or using the optional remote control device), all the smoke alarms will stop beeping, except for the one which is detecting the real smoke. This allows the occupants to quickly and accurately identify the source of the fire and/or which room is presenting the issue.

Finally, photoelectric interconnected smoke alarms are a legal requirement in Queensland.

Under the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Act 1990, all homes in the state being rented or sold must have interconnected smoke alarms installed (this law came into effect January 1, 2022). The legislation will be amended again in 2027 to include ALL homes in QLD, irrespective of whether they are being leased, sold, or lived in by owner occupiers.

Summary

Interconnected smoke alarms are an essential safety feature in any home or building. They provide early warning of a fire, are more reliable and easier to maintain than standalone smoke alarms and are a legal requirement in Queensland. If you haven’t already done so, we recommend having more than one interconnected smoke alarm installed in your home to protect your family and your possessions. Check us out today at Photoelectric Smoke Alarms Australia for all your smoke alarm needs!