Smoke detectors mandatory in all new homes from June 2018
All new homeowners must install smoke detectors in their homes to meet revised requirements laid out by the Singapore Civil Defence Force. TODAY file photo.
SINGAPORE — From June next year, all new homeowners must install smoke detectors in their homes to meet revised requirements laid out by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).
This was triggered by a recent rise in the number of residential fire-related injuries, from about 40 per cent in 2006 to 70 per cent in 2016. There were a total of 2,818 residential fire incidents last year, with one fatality resulting from a fire at Hume Avenue last April.
The rules will apply to all new homes, including Housing Development Board (HDB) flats, condominiums, and landed dwelling houses. Existing homes do not have to install the detectors unless renovation works with fire safety implications such as the installation and re-location of fire doors, or installation of a roof over open balconies, are carried out. These homeowners will be required to engage an architect or a professional engineer to submit the building plans to SCDF for approval.
The smoke detectors or Home Fire Alarm Devices (HFADs) warn occupants of fires by sounding an alarm. The number of HFADs required in any home will depend on the size and layout of the residential unit.
Depending on the layout of the home, every storey must be installed with at least one smoke detector, and single-storey floors with combined living spaces of more than 70sqm will require at least two.
The revised Singapore Fire Code also states that the detector has to be placed on the ceiling along escape routes such as the living room, corridor or staircase area within the home. Homeowners can choose to install additional detectors at their own discretion, but the devices should not be installed in kitchens and toilets, where smoke and steam could trigger a false alarm.
Smoke detectors with built-in batteries that can last up to 10 years cost between S$50 to S$80 (excluding installation charges), while those that are powered by dry-cell batteries and have a shorter life span of a year cost S$40 or less.
Speaking at the Fire Safety Asia Conference at Parkroyal on Beach Road on Thursday (Nov 16), Second Minister for Home Affairs Josephine Teo said the SCDF, HDB and the People’s Association (PA) are also looking to install the detectors at 50,000 public rental flats at no additional cost to tenants.
This announcement comes after a rising number of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) calls this year. Elderly individuals aged 65 and above accounted for more than one-third of these calls.
“Our population is ageing and as it does, we will also need to update our fire safety standards and emergency responses. For instance, elderly persons must be expected to take more time for evacuation in an emergency, especially in high-rise developments... early warning from the HFADs will help them prevent injuries to themselves,” said Mrs Teo.
The installation in public rental flats will take three years to complete, and households with at least one elderly person aged 60 and above will be given priority.
