Queensland's Photoelectric-Only
Smoke Alarm Legislation

The Story Behind the Legislation. . .

Part 2

21 September 2015

QLD Fire & Emergency Services Commissioner

Wants photoelectric
alarms in all homes

Part 4

3 November 2015

Cr Luke Smith &
Louie Naumovski

Wants photoelectric
alarms in all homes

More > > >

Part 3

23 September 2015

Logan City
Mayor

Wants photoelectric
alarms in all homes

More > > >

01 September 2015

Part 1

Logan House Fire
Support Network

Want ionization
smoke alarms banned

Wants photoelectric
legislation

Part 5

Louie Naumovski

Founder LHFSN

More > > >

8 December 2015

More > > >

The Legislation. . .

Part 6

'Superior Smoke Alarms to Save Queensland Lives'

3 December 2015

More > > >

Part 2

21 September 2015

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Katarina Carroll wants photoelectric smoke alarms in all homes

September 21 2015 12:00am

NEIL DOORLEY  The Courier Mail  |  Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Jillian Ginn, who lost her son Eddie in house fire in June, is warning people to install photoelectric alarms. Picture: Marc Robertson

QUEENSLAND’S Fire and Emergency Services boss is pushing for the State Government to make it mandatory to install photoelectric smoke alarms in homes to cut the growing number of deaths in house fires.

 

Commissioner Katarina Carroll revealed the QFES had made a submission to the Palaszczuk Government, declaring the reform would “save lives”.

 

Joining the push, the mother of an 11-year-old autistic boy who died when their Brisbane home became an inferno, is pleading with authorities to “banish” ionization smoke alarms altogether.

 

Jillian Ginn said since her son Eddie’s death her priority had become advocating for photoelectric alarms in the hope it would save one life.

 

“If I had had more expensive photoelectric alarms in my house, my boy would still be alive,” she said.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Katarina Carroll wants the State Government to make it mandatory to install photoelectric smoke alarms in homes. Picture: Jono Searle.

Eddie died in the fire which took about four minutes to engulf their home on June 15.

 

TRAGEDY: Westlake house fire victim tells of moment her son died

 

Only one of four ionization alarms in the house sounded, waking Ms Ginn about 11.30pm. She was able to reach her daughters, aged 10 and 13.

 

She said the four alarms were already installed when she bought the house in January, 2014, and subsequent checks had ensured they were working.

 

“I’m not an expert, or a firefighter, but only one alarm going off just didn’t make sense,’’ she said.

 

The QFES argues photoelectric detectors are “more effective” than cheaper ionization alarms because they “see the smoke” and are good at sensing smoldering fires. It is estimated it would cost between $350 and $500 for a new home to be fitted with hardwired, interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Katarina Carroll wants the State Government to make it mandatory to install photoelectric smoke alarms in homes. Picture: Jono Searle.

 

“Photoelectric alarms might be a little bit more expensive but I want to see the percentage of them increase dramatically because, for us, it is about saving lives,’’ Ms Carroll said.

 

Figures reveal up to 15 per cent, or about 247,000 homes in Queensland either don’t have alarms, or they don’t work. Ms Carroll said the QFES backed Coroner James McDougall’s findings into the fire that killed 11 people at Slacks Creek in 2011.

 

Coroner McDougall found working smoke alarms would probably have saved lives in Slacks Creek, and recommended installation of photoelectric smoke alarms in all buildings where people sleep. In Queensland, nearly half of all house fire deaths occur when people are sleeping.

 

"The world is a dangerous

  place to live; not because

  of the people who are evil,

  but because of the people

  who do nothing about it."

Albert Einstein

"Ignorance, allied with..
power, is the most.. ferocious enemy..
 justice can have."

James A Baldwin

"The only thing..

necessary for the.. triumph of evil is that..

good men do nothing."

Edmund Burke