NEW SOUTH WALES FIRE BRIGADES

227 Elizabeth Street Sydney NSW 2000

PO Box 14249, Sydney South NSW 1232
Telephone: (02)9265 2999 Facsimile: (02)9265 2988

Home Page: www.fire.nsw.gov.au Email: info@fire.nsw.gov.au ABN: 12 593 473 1 1 0

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9 August 2006

Messsrs A Butler and K Westwell

Co-Founders
The World Fire Safety Foundation
PO Box 1665
SPRINGWOOD QLD 4127

Dear Messrs Butler and Westwell,

Thank you for your letter regarding ionisation smoke alarms.

As you are aware, the New South Wales Fire Brigades (NSWFB) has spent a great
deal of time analysing the research and findings of a wide range of investigations
including the NIST Report (Technical Note 1455), the White Paper (The
PublicIPrivate Fire Safety Council), papers by Joseph Fleming and others. Your
assistance in this respect was greatly appreciated. The result of this investigation was
amendment of the "NSWFB Position on Smoke Alarms" to strongly recommend the
installation of photoelectric alarms in all homes. I have publicly advocated this in
numerous radio, TV and newspaper interviews, and ensured that all NSWFB
firefighters are aware of, and communicate, this position.

As you are also aware, the NSWFB worked very closely with the Australasian Fire
Authorities Council (AFAC) in amending the AFAC Position on Smoke Alarms in
Residential Accommodation to reflect the same position.

The NSWFB provides a great deal of information about smoke alarms on our website
http://www.fire.nsw.aov.au, including links to the NIST report. This is so that the
public has information readily available on the capabilities and limitations of both
photoelectric and ionisation alarms. In NSW at present it is extremely difficult to
purchase a photoelectric smoke alarm which we hope reflects choices being made by
better informed members of the public.

The NSWFB will continue to monitor research and work closely with AFAC to
ensure that the community of NSW continue to receive the best advice possible
regarding fire safety in their homes. Smoke alarms are only part of the solution;
general fire safety knowledge and a practiced escape plan are also required to give
members of the community their best possible chance of survival if a fire occurs.

New South Wales Government

Smoke Alarms Save Lives Cat NO. 04230 VW4.m D
Please be assured that I will ensure our internal education measures are reviewed and
reinforced as necessary.

Should you require any further information regarding this matter please do not
hesitate to contact Chief Superintendent Jim Smith on 02 9742-7 127.

Yours faithfully

Greg Mullins AFSM

Commissioner