Living in public housing

Keep yourself and your family safe from fire by ensuring you have a working smoke alarm installed in your home.

We have some tips on how to stay safe when you are cooking or when you have heaters, cigarettes or candles burning. There is also advice on how to safely evacuate from a burning building or room.

Home fire safety advice

Fire safety at home posters

• Home fire safety messages (.pdf)
• Fire in your room - evacuation advice: plan your escape(.pdf)
• Fire in your home - evacuation advice (.pdf)
• Fire in your home - highrise evacuation advice (.pdf)

Fire safety in high-rise buildings

There is also fire safety information for people living in high-rise buildings.

Learn more about what we're doing to improve fire safety in high-rise buildings.

The What to do if there is a fire booklet explains:

• The fire safety equipment in your unit and building
• What to do if there is a fire in your unit
• What to do if there is a fire in your building
• How to stay fire-safe at home

Download What to do if there is a fire (.pdf) or the accessible Word version (.docx).

Fire safety booklet in other languages

• Arabic: What to do if there is a fire (Arabic .pdf) and accessible Arabic version (.docx)
• Chinese - Simplified: What to do if there is a fire (Simplified Chinese .pdf) and accessible Simplified Chinese version (.docx)
• Chinese - Traditional: What to do if there is a fire (Traditional Chinese .pdf) and accessible Traditional Chinese version (.docx)
• Russian: What to do if there is a fire (Russian .pdf) and accessible Russian version (.docx)
• Somali: What to do if there is a fire (Somali .pdf) and accessible Somali version (.docx)
• Vietnamese: What to do if there is a fire (Vietnamese .pdf) and accessible Vietnamese version (.docx)

Fire protection equipment

Smoke alarms

You should check your smoke alarm each month. Press the button at the centre of the smoke alarm until you hear 'beep, beep, beep'.

If your alarm doesn't beep or you have another problem with a smoke alarm, contact the Housing Call Centre on 13 11 72 as soon as you can.

The smoke alarm information fact sheet explains the function of the smoke alarm, as well as how to test and clean it.

Download the smoke alarm fact sheets:

• Smoke alarm information sheet (.pdf)
• Smoke alarm information sheet - easy English (.pdf)
• DOs and DON'Ts on smoke alarms (.pdf)

Fire sprinklers

In the event of a fire in your home, the sprinkler will activate and release water to reduce the fire until help arrives.

Don't hang things from the sprinklers. If it is damaged, the sprinkler may cause water damage to the property and your household items.

Bushfire information for tenants

To prepare yourself and your family for the coming bushfire season, read the Bushfire information for tenants (.docx).

The Country Fire Authority has information to help you plan and prepare for fires.

More information

To learn more about fire safety, visit:

• Metropolitan Fire Brigade website
• Country Fire Authority website
• Our human services website for fire risk management information for business and community.