April 2, 2024 • 4 mins
Cam & Maddie chat to John Griffin, Queensland State Manager at Brooks Australia about why April 1st, what you need to do to test and check them and what smoke alarm products could look like in the future as technology develops.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
For some people around their homes.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
They might have set reminders in their calendars to do
certain things such as clean the oven once every three months.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Yes, clean the gutters before a certain date.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
I know when it comes into bush fire seas and
people clean the leaves and the gutters and those.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Sorts of things.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
Taking good advice doing that, yes.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
But something that some people might not remember to do
on a regular occasion is test and check their smokealarms.
And this is quite an important thing.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
And as you said, if you've moved around all the
sharehouses and houses that you've lived in over the years,
the beeping is usually the signal that you need to
do it. But we're saying you should be doing.
Speaker 4 (00:35):
It before that.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Indeed, Well, someone who can talk to us a bit
more about it is John Griffith, Queensland State Manager at Brooks, Australia.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Good morning, John Maddie, good morning. How are you now?
We know that smoke alarms are important. We just talked
about that.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Why do you think households don't install and then regularly
test them? Why aren't we doing this?
Speaker 4 (00:54):
Look, I think it's a very simple thing of once
they go off, they try to disarm them because they're
quite annoying and they generally go off at about one
or two o'clock in the morning when everyone's having a
deep sleep, so they try to disarm them. But it
is very important to make sure you're doing your regular testing.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Yeah, okay, and so what does regular testing entail because
and we're just about to speak about this, there's a
number of different alarms in different styles. But what's the
standard sort of regular test in tail?
Speaker 4 (01:21):
So the standard test can probably is a fairly basic
one is firstly, have a look at your alarm and
see what your battery is. Now a lot of the
latest models are a ten year lithian so you don't
even have to check the battery. But if you have
that little square nine volt battery, you must change those
at least once a year. And the best way to
be able to make sure that that's working is have
(01:42):
a quick test every month. So there should be a
big hush button or a big ram button on the
front of your smoke alarm and just give it a
quick test and that'll set the alarm off and that'll
let you know that the battery's okay.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Now, they say that April first is the best day
to do this or the little reminder day.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
Why is that it's just.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
A simple day because you're getting into the you're starting
probably getting into those cool months, so where you have
buyers in your say you've got a fireplace, for example,
So that's probably been the best reason why they've showsen
April one, and that's getting you prepared to make sure
for the winter months if you do have a fireplace
in your house, to make sure your smoked arms are
working correctly.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
Getting ready for our discussion this morning, I had a
sort of bit of a poke around on your website
and I've mentioned that there's a number of different smoke
alarms and so one that I saw was one that
you provide for people who are hearing impaired, which is
hugely important. Tell us a little bit about the history
of that in your business and how many you sort
(02:41):
of roll out.
Speaker 4 (02:43):
Look it sure has become a really important part of
our and obviously with our hearing impaired customers or our
hearing impaired community, a smoke alarm is not going to
be of any value. So what we developed many many
years ago is one with actually a flashing strobe, and
trust me, seen that strobe go off and it will
wake anyone and it basically wirelessly interconnects to our current
(03:06):
smoke alarms and so that'll set that alarm or sorry,
set the strobe off. But also there's a little patrice,
a little vibrating pad which they can connect to it
as well, which can sit under their pillow. So it's
a really great advance of the last few years.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Yeah, now I'm one of these people that has accidentally
slept through a smoke alarm going off because I'm such
a deep sleeper.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
Do you see anywhere in the future that people like me.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Who know they are deep sleepers could attach this device
to our current one and not have to be part
of the hearing impaired community.
Speaker 4 (03:38):
Look, there's no reason why you can't. There's so many
advances that we're working on currently as a as a
manufacturer of smoke alarms worldwide, and there's possibly a lot
of people have iPhones, you know, you watch as your
smart watches, et cetera. I wouldn't be surprised eventually if
they all connect up together. So if you're sleeping with
this s art, what something happens and that could also
(04:01):
send a vibration to your wrist. Example, if you're smart with.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
Yeah, I mean that sort of makes sense with our
houses being so connected and interconnected down with all the
wireless and all the devices, so that really probably is
a natural progression, isn't it.
Speaker 4 (04:15):
It sure is. And like I said, connection with everything
now you're more able to raise other alarms, turn your
whole lights on in your house for example. You know,
these are the things that are just as technology stronger
and stronger. These are things that are going to happen
in the near future now and it can just.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
Help us with the general safety as well well.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Thank you so much for giving us a bit of
insight into smoke alarms and testing and all those sorts
of things.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
John, I hope you have a wonderful Easter.
Speaker 4 (04:41):
No worry you too, guys. Thanks very much for having me.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
No worries. John Griffith, Queensland State Manager at Brooks, Australia.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
There
For some people around their homes.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
They might have set reminders in their calendars to do
certain things such as clean the oven once every three months.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Yes, clean the gutters before a certain date.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
I know when it comes into bush fire seas and
people clean the leaves and the gutters and those.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Sorts of things.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
Taking good advice doing that, yes.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
But something that some people might not remember to do
on a regular occasion is test and check their smokealarms.
And this is quite an important thing.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
And as you said, if you've moved around all the
sharehouses and houses that you've lived in over the years,
the beeping is usually the signal that you need to
do it. But we're saying you should be doing.
Speaker 4 (00:35):
It before that.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Indeed, Well, someone who can talk to us a bit
more about it is John Griffith, Queensland State Manager at Brooks, Australia.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Good morning, John Maddie, good morning. How are you now?
We know that smoke alarms are important. We just talked
about that.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Why do you think households don't install and then regularly
test them? Why aren't we doing this?
Speaker 4 (00:54):
Look, I think it's a very simple thing of once
they go off, they try to disarm them because they're
quite annoying and they generally go off at about one
or two o'clock in the morning when everyone's having a
deep sleep, so they try to disarm them. But it
is very important to make sure you're doing your regular testing.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Yeah, okay, and so what does regular testing entail because
and we're just about to speak about this, there's a
number of different alarms in different styles. But what's the
standard sort of regular test in tail?
Speaker 4 (01:21):
So the standard test can probably is a fairly basic
one is firstly, have a look at your alarm and
see what your battery is. Now a lot of the
latest models are a ten year lithian so you don't
even have to check the battery. But if you have
that little square nine volt battery, you must change those
at least once a year. And the best way to
be able to make sure that that's working is have
(01:42):
a quick test every month. So there should be a
big hush button or a big ram button on the
front of your smoke alarm and just give it a
quick test and that'll set the alarm off and that'll
let you know that the battery's okay.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Now, they say that April first is the best day
to do this or the little reminder day.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
Why is that it's just.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
A simple day because you're getting into the you're starting
probably getting into those cool months, so where you have
buyers in your say you've got a fireplace, for example,
So that's probably been the best reason why they've showsen
April one, and that's getting you prepared to make sure
for the winter months if you do have a fireplace
in your house, to make sure your smoked arms are
working correctly.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
Getting ready for our discussion this morning, I had a
sort of bit of a poke around on your website
and I've mentioned that there's a number of different smoke
alarms and so one that I saw was one that
you provide for people who are hearing impaired, which is
hugely important. Tell us a little bit about the history
of that in your business and how many you sort
(02:41):
of roll out.
Speaker 4 (02:43):
Look it sure has become a really important part of
our and obviously with our hearing impaired customers or our
hearing impaired community, a smoke alarm is not going to
be of any value. So what we developed many many
years ago is one with actually a flashing strobe, and
trust me, seen that strobe go off and it will
wake anyone and it basically wirelessly interconnects to our current
(03:06):
smoke alarms and so that'll set that alarm or sorry,
set the strobe off. But also there's a little patrice,
a little vibrating pad which they can connect to it
as well, which can sit under their pillow. So it's
a really great advance of the last few years.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Yeah, now I'm one of these people that has accidentally
slept through a smoke alarm going off because I'm such
a deep sleeper.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
Do you see anywhere in the future that people like me.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Who know they are deep sleepers could attach this device
to our current one and not have to be part
of the hearing impaired community.
Speaker 4 (03:38):
Look, there's no reason why you can't. There's so many
advances that we're working on currently as a as a
manufacturer of smoke alarms worldwide, and there's possibly a lot
of people have iPhones, you know, you watch as your
smart watches, et cetera. I wouldn't be surprised eventually if
they all connect up together. So if you're sleeping with
this s art, what something happens and that could also
(04:01):
send a vibration to your wrist. Example, if you're smart with.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
Yeah, I mean that sort of makes sense with our
houses being so connected and interconnected down with all the
wireless and all the devices, so that really probably is
a natural progression, isn't it.
Speaker 4 (04:15):
It sure is. And like I said, connection with everything
now you're more able to raise other alarms, turn your
whole lights on in your house for example. You know,
these are the things that are just as technology stronger
and stronger. These are things that are going to happen
in the near future now and it can just.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
Help us with the general safety as well well.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Thank you so much for giving us a bit of
insight into smoke alarms and testing and all those sorts
of things.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
John, I hope you have a wonderful Easter.
Speaker 4 (04:41):
No worry you too, guys. Thanks very much for having me.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
No worries. John Griffith, Queensland State Manager at Brooks, Australia.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
There
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