Victorians are being urged to change their smoke alarm batteries when daylight saving time ends this Sunday.
Minister for Emergency Services, Jane Garrett, was at Federation Square today to lend her support to this important message at an Easter Egg hunt.
Young children in the hunt were rewarded with chocolate while also being provided with batteries for use in their smoke alarms at home.
Smoke alarms save lives but not if the battery is flat.
A working smoke alarm will give you an early warning and time to escape a fire.
If you don’t have a working smoke alarm installed in your home, and a fire occurs:
- You are four times more likely to die
- You are 26 per cent more likely to suffer serious injuries
- You are 57 per cent more likely to suffer property loss and damage
A small fire can grow to the size of the entire room in two or three minutes.
For more information on smoke alarms and fire safety visit or
Quotes attributable to Minister for Emergency Services, Jane Garrett
“Smoke alarms save lives but only if they have charged batteries and are working properly.”
“House fires occur all year round. Picking a date to ensure you have a working smoke alarm makes sense.”
“As you turn your clock back for the end of daylight savings, change your smoke alarm batteries too.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020