Learn more about fire protection
Our aim is to publish interesting & relevant articles to help building owners, residents & strata managers better understand the requirements of the fire safety industry.
The fire protection industry is laden with complex legislation & requirements, so it’s no surprise that ordinary people have a hard time getting their head around it. Let us assist you.
DISCLAIMER: The information provided in the articles on our website is generic in nature and may not apply to your building. Please call Civil Fire if you would like to discuss a specific aspect of your building. The articles are accurate at the date they are published .
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Vegetation Management – Hydrants
Ensure fire safety in your strata building by maintaining vegetation clearances & visibility around hydrant boosters and valves. Learn about essential standards, real-life examples, and tips for keeping hydrants accessible and vegetation managed. Prioritize safety with expert advice from Civil Fire.

5-Yearly Servicing of Hydrant & Sprinkler Systems
With the legislation of AS1851 in NSW coming into force in 2025, the 5-yearly service of the fire hydrant system and sprinkler system

AS1851 in NSW
The Australian Standard for the Routine service of fire protection equipment, AS1851-2012, is being legislated in NSW as of 13th February 2025. What does this mean for building owners? Find out more.

Fire Dampers
Fire dampers are an essential safety measure that helps to prevent the spread of fire and smoke in buildings. Dampers belong to the ‘passive fire protection’ family.

Ionisation Vs Photoelectric Smoke Alarms
There are two main types of smoke alarms available on the market: ionisation smoke alarms and photoelectric smoke alarms. While both types of smoke alarms can detect smoke and save lives, they operate differently, and there are advantages to using one type over the other in specific settings.

Hydrostatic Testing of Fire Hydrants
Hydrostatic testing is a process of testing the integrity and strength of a pressurized system, such as a fire hydrant system, to ensure that it can withstand the required pressure and flow.

10yo smoke alarms in NSW
Civil Fire have recently updated our policy to defect smoke alarms when they are over 10 years old. Previously, this was a recommendation item only.
The reason for this change is the legislation of the Australian Standard for the Maintenance of Fire Protection – AS1851. This standard was legislated in NSW on 16/12/22, and all buildings must be maintained in accordance with this standard by 13th February 2025.

Security screens on fire doors
Firstly and importantly – Fire and Rescue New South Wales advise against the fitting of security screens to fire doors, although it really is a BCA compliance issue.
There are several issues with security screens…

Electronic Locks / Smart Locks on fire doors
Technology is seeping into every aspect of our lives. But are you allowed to install an electronic/smart lock on your fire door?

Fire Rated Ceilings: A resident’s guide
Can I install downlights, ducted air conditioning, ceiling exhaust fans or manholes in my unit ceiling?
Well yes… but you need to be very careful if your ceiling designed to have a “resistance to the incipient spread of fire to the roof space for a period of not less than 60 minutes”.
Fire rated ceilings are an fire safety measure, designed to slow the spread of fire from one part of the building to another.

AFSS Endorsement – Timeframes & 3rd Party Repairs
Can an AFSS be issued when repairs are approved but not yet completed?
Can owners engage anyone to do repairs?

Passive Fire Protection
Passive Fire measures are designed to stop (or slow) the spread of fire from one part of the building to another. Most buildings have Passive Fire protection measures – even if they are not specifically listed on the AFSS.

Emergency Lights
In an emergency situation emergency lights should run on their backup battery for at least 90-minutes. Australian Standards require that exit & emergency lights be tested every 6 months. Exit and emergency lights have a shorter lifespan when compared to non-emergency lights.

Smoke Alarms & Landlord Obligations
Landlords have clear obligations when it comes to the installation, repair and maintenance of smoke alarms.
So who is responsible for what?
Landlords can engage Civil Fire to fulfil their obligations for $75 + GST each year.

Paths of Travel
Maintaining exits, and clear paths of travel to exits is critical in ensuring occupants can escape in the event of an emergency. So what are the requirements?

Fire Sprinklers
Fire sprinklers are a highly effective method of fire suppression. But in order for them to operate effectively they need to have adequate clearance and coverage. We’ll explore some of the common issues we see with sprinklers in residential strata buildings.

Soft Touch Door Closers
Fire doors must be able to self-close and self-latch after every opening, which is why it is mandatory for fire doors to have closers. Are you finding that your closer is making your fire door feel so heavy that you can barely open it? There is a solution!

Hoarding & Fire Safety
Hoarding is a condition
where a person has persistent difficulty discarding personal possessions. It is well recognized that hoarding behaviour increases the risk of fire. So what can be done? And can the fire safety technician do anything at an annual inspection?

Preventing faults & alarms on FIP
Unwanted faults & alarms are a challenge for residents and fire protection companies alike. Ordinary activities – cooking in particular – produce airborne particles which can activate smoke detectors. There alarms are often referred to as “nuisance alarms”.

AFSS FAQs
An Annual Fire Safety Statement is a certificate that attests that each Essential Fire Safety Measure installed in the building been assessed by a Accredited Practitioner (Fire Safety), adn was found to be capable of performing to the standard required by the most recent Fire Safety Schedule. The owner of the building is required to provide a new AFSS to Council and the Fire Brigade every 12 months and to display the current AFSS prominently at the premises.

Fire Safety & COVID-19
The Public Health Order has been updated to provide clarity to our industry – Fire Safety services are to continue even under the tightened COVID-19 restrictions. Civil Fire have implemented a COVID-19 plan to ensure that staff and residents are safe while fire safety inspections and repairs continue.

Smoke Alarm FAQs
We get so many questions about smoke alarms. Where should my alarm be installed? How many alarms should I have? Should they be mains-powered or battery operated? Are they mean to be interconnected?

Smoke Alarms for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired
The standard smoke alarm is suitable to wake most mild to moderately hard of hearing people. People who are deaf or have a severe hearing loss however, may have difficulty hearing conventional smoke alarms. There are specialised solutions available.

A resident’s guide to fire doors
Your unit entry doorset is an “essential fire safety measure”. The doorset consists of the fire door leaf, door hardware, the door frame and the fixing to the surrounding fire wall. Under the legislation, your doorset is required to be inspected once a year to verify it meets the performance requirements of AS1905.1 – 2005 and the manufacturers approved specifications. So what is actually being checked?

FRNSW fines for false alarms
The Fire and Rescue NSW ACT 1989, Sect 42 allows FRNSW to charge for attending false alarm call-outs ONLY if the callout is generated from an ASE.
FRNSW does not charge for ANY CALLS made to 000 – even if it turns out to be a false alarm.
I don’t think we’ve had contractors come through before who were so clean and tidy, helpful and responsive with ideas about how to better maintain the heritage and be compliant and generally respectful of the property.

He was so thoughtful, he stopped the really noisy part of the repair so I could answer calls. I went out at lunch, and he was on his hands and knees washing the floor in the entry because he’d brought in some debris from the street.

People are very quick to complain but slow to compliment so I just wanted to say thank you for your prompt service.
