Smoke Alarms for Deaf or hard of hearing
SMOKE ALARMS FOR HEARING IMPAIRED AND DEAF/BLIND PEOPLE
Smoke alarms save lives. Smoke alarms must be installed in all homes by the 1st February 1999 to give people an early warning about the presence of smoke and fire in their homes.
Conventional smoke alarms have audible alarms which alert people to the presence of smoke and provide precious extra seconds to escape from the home. These alarms are effective for those who can hear them, but alternative types of signals must be considered for people who are deaf or hearing impaired.
Currently there are a number of models of smoke alarms available that are composed of a conventional smoke alarm ‘With an audible alarm and an additional bright white xenon strobe light. This type of alarm should be placed above the sleeping person so that the flashing strobe will awaken and alert hearing impaired and deaf people to smoke and fire. Also available are smoke alarms for deaf and blind which consist of vibrating pads which are placed under the pillow and vibrate when the smoke alarm is activated.
Some alarms are designed so that they can be interconnected with other conventional alarms in different locations within the home. If one of the alarms senses smoke, all alarms will sound, the strobe will flash and the vibrating pad will operate. Other alarms are portable units that can be taken from one residence to another.
The strobe light will only function with 240V main power.
Currently there are no Australian Standards (A.S.) that apply to smoke alarms for deaf/blind and hearing impaired people. If any smoke alarm for deaf/blind and hearing impaired people quotes A.S. 3786, this standard refers only to the smoke alarm sensing unit and does not include the flashing strobe light.
Metropolitan Fire Brigade records indicate that since 1992, potentially 714 lives were saved as a direct result of the operation of smoke alarms. In the same time period, there were an additional 1267 fires where smoke alarms gave people an early warning of the fire and damage was minimised as a result.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT – COMMUNITY EDUCATION on 9665 4464
FOR FURTHER ADVICE CONTACT:
BETTER HEARING AUSTRALIA,
Victorian Branch, 5 High Street, Prahran 3181
PHONE: (03) 9510 1577
FACSIMILE: (03) 9510 6076
TTY: (03) 9510 3499
VICDEAF,
4/340 Albert Street, East Melbourne 3002
PHONE: (03) 9657 8199
FACSIMILE: (03) 9657 8151
TTY: (03) 9657 8152
The Auslan Fire Alarm Subsidy Initiative.
The Auslan Fire Alarm Subsidy was launched by the Victorian Government to deliver 600 fire alarms over a two-year period for profoundly deaf Auslan (Australian sign language) users.
Vicdeaf is administering the scheme, which is being delivered in partnership with the Victorian Government, Victorian Council of Deaf People (VCOD), the Deaf Blind Association (DBA) and both the Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) and Country Fire Authority (CFA).
A working party has been established to guide the rollout of the initiative. This group includes representatives from VCOD, DBA, Vicdeaf and DHS.
You must:
Be profoundly deaf
Use Auslan or another Sign Language as your main method of communication
Be over 18 years old or living independently
Be able to provide one of the following:
Two (2) references from a service, deaf club or social group where Auslan is a main form of communication
One (1) reference from a face-to-face meeting with a member of Vicdeaf, Victorian Council of Deaf people (VCOD) or the DeafBlind Association (DBA)
Any other information that proves you meet the eligibility criteria
You must not:
Live in any of the following:
Be eligible to receive a fire alarm or fire alarm subsidy from any other source of government funding.
*There is a limit of one fire alarm per household.
How to Apply
Application forms are available from the Vicdeaf website, under the fire alarm subsidy application form link at: http://www.vicdeaf.com.au
OR
By contacting Vicdeaf on the details listed below.
If you need more information about this subsidy or information about fire alarms that can help Deaf and hard of hearing people, please contact Vicdeaf.
Vicdeaf
Attention: Fire Alarm Subsidy
Email: firealarm@vicdeaf.com.au
TTY: 9473 1199
Voice: 9473 1111
Fax: 9473 1122
Post: Level 4, 340 Albert Street
East Melbourne 3002
Auslan Fire Alarm Subsidy
Application Form
PART A
Eligibility Information
Name: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Address: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Postcode: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Contact Details:
Phone/TTY: ……………………………………………………………
Mobile Phone: ……………………………………………………....
Email: ……………………………………………………………………
Are you profoundly deaf?
Yes
No
Has someone else living in your household applied for this subsidy?
No
Yes (please provide the name of this person):…………………………………………
Are you living in:
Your Own Property
A Rental Property
Office of Housing accommodation (e.g. Public Housing)
Disability funded accommodation (e.g. A Community Residential Unit)
Other (please state): …………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
What is your Age:
Under 18
19-35
36-45
46-65
65 +
If you are under 18, do you live independently?
Yes
No
Which of the following do you use in every day communication?
Auslan
Other Sign Language (please state): ……………………………………………….…
Spoken English
Spoken Language other than English
Other (please state): …………………………………………………………………………….…
To verify that you meet the eligibility criteria for this subsidy, please provide:
Two (2) references from a service, deaf club or social group that sees deaf people and where Auslan is a main form of communication
OR
One (1) reference from a face-to-face meeting with a member of Vicdeaf, Victorian Council of Deaf people (VCOD) or the DeafBlind Association (DBA)
OR
Any other information that proves you meet the eligibility criteria
PART B:
Additional Information *this information is optional and will be used for evaluation and statistical purposes*
Are you a Health Care Card Holder?
Yes
No
Which of the following best describes your living situation?
Living alone
Living in a deaf household (a house without any hearing occupants)
Living in a hearing household (a house with at least one hearing occupant)
Other: ……………………………………………………………………………………………
APPLICATION CHECKLIST
Before submitting to this form to Vicdeaf, have you:
Answered all questions?
Provided the required references OR supplied information that proves your eligibility?
Signed and dated this application?
I confirm that the above information is correct
Signature:
Date:
Reference One:
Name:
Organisation:
Role: Role:
Email:
TTY/Phone:
Signature:
Reference Two:
Name:
Organisation:
Email:
TTY/Phone
Signature:
______________________________________________________
Please return this form attention to
“Fire Alarm Subsidy”
Victorian Deaf Society
Level 4, 340 Albert Street
East Melbourne 3002.
firealarm@vicdeaf.com.au