FOR FIREFIGHTERS
SMOKE ALARM WARNING!
Most People have the Wrong Smoke Alarms in their Home
There Are Two Smoke Alarm Technologies
Note: It's about the technology, not the power supply, i.e. battery or hard-wired.
No Radioactive Material
Few False Alarms
No Law Suits
PHOTOELECTRIC/OPTICAL
Most Commercial Buildings
EFFECTIVE | SAFE
Contains Radioactive Material
Excessive False Alarms
Numerous Law Suits
IONIZATION
Most Homes
DEFECTIVE | DEADLY
Scientific Testing to the Australian & U.S. Governments Flawed Standards
Is the smoke alarm capable of detecting smoke in the early, smoldering stage of fire?
YES: Flaming Stage of Fire
YES: Early, Smoldering Stage of Fire
YES: Flaming Stage of Fire
NO: Early, Smoldering Stage of Fire
1976
Report: 'The Smoke Detector Fraud'
"One of the cleverest and most lucrative cons ever pulled off in
America has been executed by some of the smoke detector promoters."
R.M. Patton FPE, Ohio, USA | Report: 'The Smoke Detector Fraud' | 1976 | Page 1, Para 1
Richard M Patton FPE
Fire Protection Engineer, Author
International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC)
'Residential Smoke Alarm Report' | Sept, 1980 | Page 1, Para 8
1980
"In fact, they (ionization alarms) might be so slow to..
activate in a smoldering fire that lives may be in danger."
International Association
of Fire Chiefs (USA)
"That all residential accommodation be fitted with photoelectric
smoke alarms. Ionization smoke alarms may not operate in time
to alert occupants early enough to escape from smoldering fires."
Australasian Fire Authorities Council (AFAC) | 'Position on Smoke Alarms
in Residential Accommodation' | 1 June 2006 | Page 3, Clause 3
2006
"Ionization smoke alarms may not operate in time to alert
.occupants early enough to escape from smoldering fires."
Australasian Fire
Authorities Council
Chief Jay Fleming
Boston Fire Dept, MA, USA
Smoke Alarm World Expert
Deputy Chief Fleming's letter to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA)
Extracted from the WFSF's 'C.A.N. Report', page 6 | Feb 2007
"I've often been cautioned that I should be quiet "because we do not want the.. the public to lose faith in smoke detectors." This statement implies lives will..
be lost if we tell the public the truth. I think the exact opposite is true..
How many lives have been lost because the public was not told the truth?”
2006
"How many lives have been lost because..
the public was not told the truth?"
"We have five million smoke detectors in this state, that are
ionization smoke detectors, that may fail in the time of need.
2007
". . .ionization smoke detectors may fail in the time of need."
Indiana’s SFM, Roger Johnson after an Indianapolis Fire Department
‘Aquarium Test’ | Indianapolis, Indiana, USA | September 2007
SFM Roger Johnson (ret.)
Indiana State Fire Marshal
Harold A Schaitberger, General President | International
Association of Firefighters, U.S.A. | 29 Oct, 2008
"Using better (photoelectric) smoke alarms drastically..
reduce loss of life among citizens and firefighters."
2008
International Association
of Firefighters (USA)
2011
"It's about banning the ionization technology. . ."
"This is not about recommending one over the other. . . It's about banning
the ionization technology and only having the photoelectric technology."
Chief Marc McGinn | Channel 7 News | NSW, Australia | 11 July 2011
Chief Marc McGinn (ret.)
Albany Fire Dept, CA, USA
Extract: 'California Makes A Stand'
"If I get an alert, I get woken up and I want to find my way to..
the exit, I have got to be able to see the exit. At 50 to 60%..
obscuration, if an ion did go off, then you are not..
going to see it. Again, it is not fit for purpose."
2015
"Again, it (the ionization alarm) is not fit for purpose."
Mr Chris Orr
Technical Director | Fire
Protection Association Australia
Chris Orr, Technical Director, FPAA | Australian Senate Smoke Alarm Inquiry
Canberra, Australia | 4 Dec 2015 | Hansard - Page 14, Para 3
"People have said that one is good for flaming fires (ionization) and one is
good for smoldering (photoelectric). In my experience as a firefighter just
about every fire I have ever been to started as a smoldering fire and went
through a stage until it became a flaming fire. To say that they are equal
and good for different circumstances is to me a fallacy . . . an absolute myth."
2015
To say that they are equal and good for different circumstances is to me a fallacy . . . an absolute myth."
Commissioner Greg Mullins
Commissioner FRNSW (ret.)
President AFAC (ret.)
Commissioner Greg Mullins | Australian Senate Smoke Alarm Inquiry
Canberra, Australia | 4 Dec 2015 | Hansard - Page 4, Paragraph 8
Statement by Dr Paul Smith, Head of Testing, Consumer New Zealand
'Radio New Zealand National Interview' | 5 May 2018
The stunning story behind New Zealand's nationwide, photoelectric legislation
"Photoelectric in a nutshell is the technology that you want..
to go for and ionization is the one you want to avoid."
2018
"...ionization is the one you want to avoid."
Dr Paul Smith
Head of Testing
Consumer New Zealand
H E R E > > >
2019
". . .the situation in Australia is identical to that in the U.S."
Dr Vyto Babrauskas
Fire Protection Engineer
New York, NY, USA
"I note that, for the Australian context, Mr Greg Mullins, as Commissioner
of FRNSW, provided the following testimony (see Commissioner Greg
Mullin's testimony above). Thus, I consider that the situation in
Australia is found to be identical to that in the United States."
Extract from Dr Babrauskas's, 'Peer Review of FRNSW Smoke Alarm Studies'
30 October 2019 | Page 4, Paragraph 3
World Fire Safety Foundation Open Letter
OPEN LETTER
27 July 2021
THE ALARMING TRUTH
Thank you for taking the time to visit our website.
We've just finished the story of our twenty plus year battle to expose The Alarming Truth about the deadly ionization type of smoke alarms.
A Special Duty of Care
Regulatory, standards and fire safety organizations have a Special Duty of Care to warn the public and our firefighters of the life-threatening danger with ionization alarms. Due to a lack of knowledge and/or for legal and political reasons, most have failed to do so.
Discover the truth for yourself and please help us spread this life-saving message.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Adrian Butler & Karl Westwell
Co-Founders
World Fire Safety Foundation
Adrian Butler
Former Full Time Firefighter
Chairman, Co-Founder
Karl Westwell
Director of Research
Co-Founder
World Fire Safety Foundation
15 Kurara Court, Narangba, Queensland 4504, AUSTRALIA
Founded: March 2000 | Self (privately) Funded - Does Not Sell Anything, Solicit or Accept Donations | Mission: Stop The Children Burning
The Aquarium Test - See For Yourself
Why Ionization 'Smoke' Alarms Must Be Banned
They Detect Invisible/Sub-Micron Particles - Not Visible Smoke
They can go off when cooking but fail in the early, smoldering stage of fires
Eyewitness News 'Deadly Delay' Investigation | Part 4 of 12
WTHR Channel 13 | Indianapolis, IN, USA | July 2007 - 6 Minutes
Bob Segall
Award-Winning Investigative Reporter
Roger Johnson
Former State Fire
Marshal, Indiana, USA
". . .we have five million
smoke detectors in this
state that are ionization
smoke detectors that may
fail in the time of need."
State Fire Marshal Issues Urgent Warning
60 MINUTES
THE ALARMING TRUTH
“Why the smoke alarms in your home may not save you.”
'The Alarming Truth'
M O R E > > >
'Extra Minutes'
60 Minutes' Senate Inquiry Submission
FRNSW Commissioner's Email
1
2
4
3
Extra Video Footage: David Isaac & Karl Stefanovic
Ionization Smoke Alarms: How Authorities have Failed to Warn the Public
Australian Fire Brigades: "Industry Politics are Wasting Time and Risking More Lives"
Australian Fire Brigades: "Industry Politics are Wasting Time and Risking More Lives"
Former AFAC President & FRNSW Commissioner, Greg Mullins
Repeatedly Warned "Ionization Alarms Should be Banned"
Former NSW Fire Commissioner* Greg Mullins
Wants Ionization Smoke Alarms to be Banned
NSW Edition | Channel 7 News | 12 Jan 2016 - 106 seconds
0:00 “The Fire Commissioner* says Australia’s most common (ionization) smoke alarm should
be banned. Other experts claiming the flawed alarms have failed to save thousands of lives.”
*After 39 years of service, FRNSW Commissioner and AFAC President Greg Mullins retired in 2017.
QLD Edition | Channel 7 News | 12 Jan 2016 - 107 seconds
0:00 "Concerns continue to grow over ionization smoke alarms with the New South Wales Fire
Commissioner now calling for them to be banned. Prominent chef Matt Golinski lost his wife
and three children in a fire despite their Tewantin home being fitted with the (ionization) alarms."
Commissioner Mullins Testifies at
Australian Senate Smoke Alarm Inquiry
Channel 10 News | Dec 2015 - 107 seconds
0:33 “The research that Commissioner Mullins has spoken about quite definitively says
that a photoelectric smoke alarm is better."
Adam Dalrymple, Director Fire Safety, MFS, Melbourne, Australia | Smoke Alarm Senate Hearing | Dec 2015
0:54 “Photoelectric detectors sense smoldering fires on average 30 minutes earlier than ionization. . .”
David Isaac, Australia's leading fire safety expert | Standard Australia FP002 Committee Member | Dec 2015
AUSTRALIAN SENATE SMOKE ALARM INQUIRY
Testimony & Submissions
Second Hearing - Parliament House, Canberra, ACT | 4 December 2015
"Again, it (the ionization alarm) is not fit for purpose."
Chris Orr, Technical Director, Fire Protection Association Australia
Mr Chris Orr, Technical Director
Fire Protection Association Australia
David Isaac's Testimony > > >
". . .no manufacturer wants to admit there is any..
performance problem with ionization smoke alarms."
David Isaac, Fire & Safety Technologies | Australia's leading fire safety expert | Standards Australia Committee FP002 | (FP002 oversees Australia's smoke alarm standard)
David Isaac, Standards Australia Committee FP002
David Isaac, Standards Australia Committee
"...ionization alarms should be banned. . . The standard itself is flawed."
Greg Mullins, Commissioner FRNSW | President AFAC
*In 2018, after 39 years of service, Commissioner Mullins retired.
*The Australasian Fire & Emergency Service Authorities Council (AFAC) is the peak
representative body for all Australian & New Zealand fire departments.
Greg Mullins, Commissioner, FRNSW | President, AFAC
". . . ionization alarms should be banned . . . the standard itself is flawed."
Greg Mullins | Commissioner, FRNSW* | President, AFAC*
Commissioner Mullin's Testimony > > >
Commissioner Mullins, President AFAC
Rebecca Le Tourneau - Producer, 60 Minutes Australia
"Industry Politics which are wasting time and risking more lives . . .
Ensure the Australian Building Codes Board takes it head out of the
sand and mandates interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms
across Australia before the next family fire takes its next family."
60 Minutes' Submission > > >
Rebecca Le Tourneau, Producer, 60 Minutes Australia - 'The Alarming Truth' (see film above)
Rebecca Le Tourneau
Producer, 60 Minutes
4 August 2020
"We think Ionization alarms should not be sold..."
Dr Paul Smith, Head of Testing, Consumer N.Z.
Former Commissioner Greg Mullins, FRNSW, NSW, Australia
Chief Marc McGinn, Albany, CA, U.S.A.
Dr Paul Smith
New Zealand
Australia
U.S.A.
"Ionization smoke alarms should be banned."
"I call for the immediate removal of the fraudulent,.
deadly, ionization so-called smoke alarm."
Commissioner
Greg Mullins
THE ALARMING TRUTH
How the Deadly Defect With Ionization alarms
Has Been Kept from the Public and our Fire Fighters
M O R E > > >
9 July 2018
M O R E > > >
WFSF Takes CSIRO to Court. . .
. . .over Australian Standards scientific test data proving Ionization
alarms are unsafe, in three year, Freedom of Information Act battle.
March 2017
"The world is a dangerous
place to live; not because
of the people who are evil,
but because of the people
who do nothing about it."
Albert Einstein
"Ignorance, allied with..
power, is the most.. ferocious enemy..
justice can have."
James A Baldwin
"The only thing..
necessary for the.. triumph of evil is that..
good men do nothing."
Edmund Burke