The strobe-light part of the hard-of-hearing smoke alarm. Photo: James Coleman.
Unbeknownst to him, the gas burner was on when Anthany placed the plastic microwave cover on top of it.
His wife was making a “beautiful meal” but had taken the pot off the stove to serve, and he didn’t realise she’d left the gas on.
“I put the cover down on what I thought was a safe place because I couldn’t see the flame,” the Calwell resident says.
Plastic and fire then did their predictable thing, and flames were soon licking the ceiling and spitting smoke throughout the kitchen.
ACT Fire & Rescue superintendent Chris White demonstrating the new system to recipient Anthany. Photo: James Coleman.
But the worst part? The smoke alarms were silent.
“We managed to get to the fire in time. But this is why I’ve become suspicious about things happening in the house and not being aware of them.”
This won’t be happening again, though, because Anthany (last name omitted by request) is the recipient of a special type of smoke alarm issued and installed by ACT Fire and Rescue (ACTF&R).
What is this smoke alarm?
Anthany suffers from tinnitus after decades of exposure to noisy machinery in the military.
“It’s been recognised by the Department of Veteran Affairs – a lot of military guys like me have got tinnitus, and are hard of hearing,” he says.
“I constantly get upgraded for different hearing aids every time I go for a check-up because my hearing’s getting progressively worse.”
This means standard high-frequency smoke alarms – like the ones fitted to the ceiling in your home, and which sound at 85 decibels – would struggle to wake him in the event of a fire.
And it’s the reason ACTF&R is distributing special smoke alarms designed for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
“These have a strobe light and/or a vibrating pad that can be placed under the pillow, which activates when the smoke alarm sounds, and can be interconnected with conventional audible alarms in different locations within the home,” a fact sheet reads.
“If one of the alarms senses smoke, all alarms will sound, the strobe will flash, and the vibrating pad will vibrate.”
Provided you’re aged 65 or over, have “significant hearing loss or cannot hear when you remove your hearing aid”, live alone and receive a pension, ACTF&R can supply and install the whole setup – completely free of charge.
“It’s a key message from ACT Fire and Rescue that a working smoke alarm saves lives,” ACTF&R superintendent Chris White says.
“It’s very important for us that some of the more vulnerable members of the community – those who are deaf or hard of hearing, or are elderly and live alone – are protected, with a working smoke alarm that is suitable for their needs, the same as everyone else.”
How to get one
The tech itself is nothing new.
Previously, the point of contact was the Deafness Resource Centre in Holder. This organisation would vet requests for smoke alarms before passing successful applicants to ACT Fire and Rescue, who would then install them.
However, the centre folded in January 2025 due to “funding uncertainty”, so the ACT Fire Brigade has now taken the whole operation in-house.
“We’ve reinvigorated the program because we recognised … the gap, and we wanted to make sure that segment of the community continued to be protected,” Mr White says.
The public can now apply for a hard-of-hearing smoke alarm on the ACT Emergency Services Agency website, and if successful, staff will come out to your house and install it.
There’s more. Because it’s a “professional system professionally installed”, Anthany feels much more comfortable knowing there won’t be another microwave incident.
“The other big issue for me is reliability,” he says.
“I can’t replace fire alarms anymore – it’s physically too difficult for me. And quite honestly, I can’t rely on the ones from the shops. I’m always unsure about our safety in the house, given its proximity to a nature reserve and the surrounding trees. So the big thing for me is the fire brigade providing that quality assurance that it’s going to work when it needs to work.”
ACT Fire & Rescue supplies and installs alarm systems. Photo: James Coleman.
So, does it work?
“I’ve tested it a number of times, and it’s worked. It really did wake me up, even in a thunderstorm or a gale or whatever, so I’m very happy.”
Apply for a hard-of-hearing smoke alarm through the ACT Emergency Services Agency.
