Firies install special smoke alarm to help Helensburgh local

As this week’s heatwave gives us a taste of the summer to come, Fire and Rescue NSW has been busy with a safety blitz, performing free Home Safety Visits around the state. In Helensburgh, this threw up a fresh challenge for Station 325.

In early September, Station Captain Roslyn Thomas, Deputy Captain Lauren O’Regan and on-call firefighter Eduardo Pantoja installed an alarm for the deaf and hard of hearing at the home of 75-year-old Helensburgh resident Lyle Greensmith.

“That was a first for us,” Roslyn said.

“Residents can install them themselves, but part of our safety visit program is putting smoke alarm systems up, so on this occasion, we were more than happy to assist to make sure it was installed [accurately]. We tested it, made sure it was all up and running correctly for him.”

Though most smoke alarms are generally able to wake people with mild to moderate hearing loss, people who are unable to hear less than 85 decibels can have difficulty hearing conventional high-frequency smoke alarms and evacuation systems.

For Lyle’s neighbours, Jeff and Jan, the thought that Lyle’s existing smoke alarm wouldn’t be able to rouse him in the event of a fire was troubling. After months of liaising with disability services to enquire about a substitute device, Lyle obtained a Bellman Smoke Alarm pack through Hearing Australia with the help of his neighbours.

First contacted by Jeff in June, the crew at Helensburgh's Station 325 were eager to learn how to install the three-component visual and tactile alarm in the hope it would help Lyle, and potentially other local residents, feel safer at home.

“I really enjoyed that morning… [Lyle] was so ecstatic for us to come out," Roslyn said.

"We also had a morning tea with him. You could just see that he was just thoroughly over the moon. He's fortunate to have great neighbours in Jeff and Jan – that's for sure.

“We put up [a detector] where his existing one was, near his bedroom, then beside his bed, he has a unit… that sets off a strobe light, so when that detector goes off due to smoke, that unit then sets off a strobe light so he can see it.

“Underneath his pillow, he has [a pad] that vibrates, so if he's asleep, the vibration is going to wake him up and then when he wakes up he’ll see the lights, and then once he puts his hearing aids in, he would be able to hear the detector.

“I think it’s really good for us to then maybe delve into it a little bit deeper, because there are obviously more residents here in our area that are hearing-impaired that aren't aware that this is an option for them.”

Though funding may be available to some residents through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) or aged-care services, smoke alarms designed for people who are deaf or hard of hearing are often an out-of-pocket purchase, priced at upwards of $600.

Fire and Rescue NSW’s Home Safety Visits program does not currently provide this device, but Helensburgh 325 Station – now with the installation know-how – would like people to reach out if they or someone they know is in a similar situation.

“It's a personal purchase, but we are more than happy to come and build it into our safety visit program and come and install it and make sure it's in good working order,” Lauren said.

“At the same time, we can look at their house. On the Safety Visit app, we can put additional information in with regards to the property, so we can say that there's a hearing disability and mark that property as that.

"So it just gives us a bit more intel [as] we've been in the home, we've now got a visual of what the floor plan is, so in the event of something happening, we're more prepared to be able to act on that when we are there.”

Roslyn said: “I would encourage any local residents who either have family, friends or neighbours that are hearing-impaired to come and talk to us if this is something that they may be interested in pursuing.

“If we can go out there and educate people and provide a safer system for them in their home, that's a better option than us turning out to a fire.”

Organise a Home Safety Visit

Fire and Rescue NSW's Station 325 performs free smoke alarm checks and installs 10-year lithium battery-operated smoke alarms in Helensburgh daily, though prior arrangement is essential. The team also recommends that residents do a spring clean before the end of the season: clear debris from gutters, clutter in yards or beside homes, or piles of newspapers, cardboard or other combustible items from around the house.

Fire and Rescue NSW is a state government agency comprising permanent and on-call firefighters; the Rural Fire Service (RFS) is a volunteer-based organisation, and Helensburgh is home to both. Fire & Rescue NSW’s Station 325 is located at 91 Walker Street and the local RFS can be found at 185a Parkes Street.

To request a Home Safety Visit with Station 325, fill out the form on the Fire and Rescue NSW website or call the station on 02 4224 2035.