HOW TO'S & HELP
Understand your building with Auscoast Fire Services
We at Auscoast Fire Services believe information and knowledge raise all boats. We welcome you to browse the ever-increasing catalogue of help and how-to videos.
If you wish for a more hands-on approach and site-specific help please contact us anytime via service@auscoastfire.com.au or via telephone.
Does my building have fire compliance obligations?
All buildings must annually comply with fire safety regulations under the Building Fire Safety Regulation of 2008. Every year, compliance is required for all structures in from BCA classes 1B through to 9.
What consequences will you face if you don't comply?
What is the legislation's purpose?
‣To guarantee that people can promptly and safely exit the building in the case of an emergency. ‣To make sure the building's required fire safety installations are kept up.
What are your obligations?
How can we remain compliant?
The following conditions need to be met ANNUALLY: ‣Keep up with any necessary fire safety installations (FSI) every year. ‣Complete an occupier's statement ANNUALLY ‣Verify the designated evacuation route(s) is/are safe and clear, and record it. ‣Every year, review the fire and safety evacuation strategy. ‣Keep records of the Responsible Persons you designate and retrain each year. ‣Practice evacuations at least once a year. The aforementioned must be finished, and documentation of compliance must be kept.
What mandatory fire safety features does your building have?
Penalties range from $8,250 for each instance of noncompliance to $165,000 and three years in prison for offences that result in multiple fatal fires.
Buildings are required to keep up their required Fire Safety systems under-S104D of the Fire and Emergency Services Act of 1990. Building occupant is responsible for maintaining the required fire safety installations. Every required Fire Safety installation must be kept up to a standard of safety and dependability in the event of a fire at all times by the building's occupant. The systems should be upheld to The Queensland Development Code and AS 1851-2012 which both address the mandatory maintenance schedules for Fire Safety systems (Maintenance of Fire Protection Systems and Equipment).
Prescribed Fire Installations include:- ‣Fire extinguishers, ‣Fire hydrants and fire hoses; ‣Exit and other signs; ‣Fire sprinkler systems; ‣Smoke alarms and fire alarms; ‣Automatic fire pressurisation systems (used in high rise fire escapes); ‣Fire control rooms and panels; ‣Automatic smoke exhaust and ventilation systems; ‣Occupant warning system (public address and alarm system)
What records should I keep?
Can I facilitate the evacuation drill?
I am hearing impaired, how can I get alerts & notifications?
‣Maintenance of prescribed Fire Installations ‣Copies of the Fire and Evacuation Plan and diagrams and records of annual reviews ‣Records of training for ‣Responsible Persons ‣Records of the evacuation training and evacuation practice conducted ‣Records of annual occupiers statements
For buildings less than 25m in height or premises with less than 30 employees no formal qualification is required, Qld legislation is designed for the owner / occupier to self manage this part of the legislated requirement. The Qld Fire and Rescue website provides information for building owners / occupants on what needs to be covered in the training under the legislation and also provides form that need to be completed and retained as part of the required documentation.
Our first recommendation, if you or someone in your household or workplace is hearing impaired would be to leverage Auscoast Fire Services's wireless mesh smoke detectors to ensure early warning is possible for all on-site. With a baseline early detection system in place, we suggest the hearing impaired enable alerts on their personal devices eg. Apple iPhone or Android devices. To take it a step further pair your wearable to your device for instant alerts on your wrist. By actioning the above , any noticeable sounds such as a crying baby, doorbell, or siren or alarm will trigger a notification on your device and wearable. Set-up Instructions: _______________________ Iphone -- Set up Sound Recognition Go to Settings > Accessibility > Sound Recognition, then turn on Sound Recognition. _______________________ Tap Sounds, then turn on the sounds you want iPhone to recognize. Add a custom alarm, appliance, or doorbell -- You can also set up iPhone to recognize a custom alarm, appliance, or doorbell if they aren’t recognized automatically. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Sound Recognition > Sounds. Tap Custom Alarm or Custom Appliance or Doorbell, then enter a name. When your alarm, appliance, or doorbell is ready, place iPhone near the sound and minimize background noise. Tap Start Listening, then follow the onscreen instructions. _______________________ Android -- Sound Notifications help you know what happens in your home. When Sound Notifications are on, your phone will always check for sounds you want notifications about, like when a smoke alarm beeps or a doorbell rings. _______________________ Step 1: Download Live Transcribe & Sound Notifications Note: If you have a Pixel phone, skip to Step 2 below. Sound Notifications are already installed on Pixel phones and select other Android phones. -- Step 2: Turn on Sound Notifications To turn on Sound Notifications, follow these steps: Open your device's Settings app . Tap Accessibility and then Sound Notifications. Tap Open Sound Notifications. To accept the permissions, tap OK. Optional: Change your Sound Notifications shortcut. Learn about accessibility shortcuts. To start Sound Notifications, use your Sound Notifications shortcut (2-finger swipe up or tap the Accessibility button Accessibility). -- How to use Sound Notifications Sound Notifications never send audio or background conversations to Google without your consent. All audio is processed locally and never leaves the device. When you receive Sound Notifications on your phone, you can: ‣Silence the notification: Tap Silence this alert. ‣Send feedback about the notification: Tap Send feedback. ‣See a timeline: Tap the notification. For the best results, follow these tips: ‣Center your phone in the room where you want audio detected. ‣Make sure nothing blocks the phone. Keep other sounds in your home low, like the TV. ‣Sound Notifications are always on and may increase battery usage. Charge your phone daily. -- Choose sounds to detect ‣Open your device's Settings app . ‣Tap Accessibility and then Sound Notifications. ‣Tap Open Sound Notifications and then Settings . ‣Tap Sound Notifications are active. Choose the sounds that you'd like to detect: ‣Smoke and fire alarms ‣Siren ‣Shouts ‣Baby sounds ‣Doorbell rings ‣Knocks ‣Dog barks ‣Appliance beeps ‣Running water ‣Landline phone rings -- Choose how you get notified ‣Open your device's Settings app . ‣Tap Accessibility and then Sound Notifications. ‣Tap Open Sound Notifications and then Settings . ‣Tap Notification preferences. Choose how you'd like to get notified: ‣Vibrate ‣Flashing light Notify on connected watches. This option applies to Wear OS watches and some other wearables. You might need to change your wearable notification settings. If you can't receive notifications, check the help documentation for your wearable device