Camperdown CFA and Lion's club members
A further 48 Camperdown residents have had their homes further safeguarded from fire as we head toward winter, thanks to the collaborative efforts of community volunteers.
On Saturday, 5 April, 18 dedicated volunteers from the Camperdown Fire Brigade, Camperdown Lions Club and CFA's South West Region Community Safety team came together to install and test smoke alarms for those in need.
Five teams set out to inspect, test and replace every outdated 9V battery smoke alarm with a 10-year battery targeting vulnerable community members who were unable to obtain, install or maintain smoke alarms themselves.
Together, they successfully visited 48 properties, checking 97 smoke alarms and installing 37 new ones to ensure community members stay protected.
Camperdown's Brigade Community Safety Coordinator, Sarah Blair said that only working smoke alarms save lives, but for some people, checking and maintaining them is not possible.
"Climbing a ladder can be a real hazard for the ageing population or those with mobility issues. This initiative takes away that worry and ensures their alarms will work when it matters most," Sarah said.
"Some of the alarms we saw had gone yellow and were well past their expiry date. It's reassuring knowing they have now been upgraded.
"It might seem like a small upgrade, but it has the power to save lives and offers them peace of mind knowing they are protected for the next decade."
While Camperdown has been doing the program for a number of years, the brigade's efforts have been boosted by CFA's partnership with RACV and their support through the Smoke Alarm Installation Program which kicked off in April 2024.
Since April last year, the program has reached 990 properties statewide, with CFA members engaging with over 1,200 residents to discuss home fire safety and install 1863 smoke alarms at 755 properties.
The initiative highlights the power of community collaboration and strong volunteer spirit, while aiming to increase the understanding and awareness of home fire hazards and reduce the number of preventable fire fatalities.
Smoke alarms play a critical role in early fire detection and evacuation, yet statistics indicate many homes do not have enough smoke alarms or have them installed in the wrong areas, with some residents also unaware if they are in working order.
Camperdown Fire Brigade are proud to work alongside the Lion's Club and CFA's South West Region Community Safety team to keep the community safe, one smoke alarm at a time.
