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.
New residential tenancy laws come into effect on 23 March 2020.
Access the legislation here:
Obligations
Landlords & Agents must ensure:
- Checks are carried out annually to ensure smoke alarm is working (cl 42.2 of Schedule 1 Standard Form Agreement).
- Smoke alarm batteries are replaced every year, or for lithium batteries, in the period specified by the manufacturer (cl 20b).
- Smoke alarms are replaced within 10 years of manufacture (cl 20a).
- Defective smoke alarms are repaired or replaced within 2 business days (cl 14), although an exemption is granted if the residence is a lot in a strata scheme AND the smoke alarm is hardwired or battery-operated but the OC is responsible for it.
- At least 2 business days’ notice is given to inspect smoke alarms, and at least 1 hours’ notice to repair or replace a smoke alarm (cl 13).
Tenants must notify their landlord or agent:
- If they discover that a smoke alarm is not working (this includes when the battery needs to be changed) (cl 43.1 of Schedule 1 Standard Form Agreement)..
- When they change a battery in a smoke alarm or engage a licensed electrician to repair or replace an alarm (cl 15.2)
Responsibilities in strata blocks
Civil Fire's role
Civil Fire is engaged by the Owners Corporation to fulfil building owner responsibilities under the Environmental Planning & Assessment Regulation.Â
Civil Fire is not – by default – engaged to fulfil owners obligations under the Residential Tenancy Regulation. Whilst we inspect smoke alarms annually, we DO NOT change batteries in smoke alarms (unless a specific agreement is in place), and we do not issue certificates of compliance for individual units following an inspection unless we are engaged by the Owner or the Owners Agent to do so.
Engaging Civil Fire
For $75 + GST an Owner or Owner’s Agent can engage Civil Fire to change the removeable battery in the smoke alarm during the annual inspection, and provide a certificate of compliance (any defects found with the smoke alarm will require rectification before the certificate is issued).Â
To engage Civil Fire for this service, please fill out the below form. Once we receive your request, we’ll send you an invoice. Payment will be required in advance of the inspection.
Dedicated smoke alarm inspectors
Landlords & Agents may choose to engage a dedicated smoke alarm inspector (E.g. Detector Inspection, or Smoke Alarms Australia) to fulfil their specific obligations under this legislation.
Even if a dedicated smoke alarm inspector is engaged, Civil Fire is still required to inspect required smoke alarms inside the residential units for the purpose of providing an AFSS. Unfortunately for the tenants, this means that 2 smoke alarm inspections are required each year.
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.
