THE Deaf Society of NSW is helping to avert tragedies this winter.
It has partnered with Fire and Rescue NSW and the Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care to provide the NSW smoke alarm subsidy scheme.
The scheme subsidises the cost of visual and tactile smoke alarms to people who are deaf, deaf-blind or hard of hearing.
Under the scheme, alarms worth up to $650 are available from around $50.
Deaf Society chief executive Sharon Everson said a person was twice as likely to die in a house fire if they did not have an alarm installed.
"If you can't hear a standard smoke alarm, this means you need a specialised alarm to alert you," Ms Everson said.
Around 43 per cent of all house fire fatalities occurred in winter, Fire and Rescue NSW figures showed.
Almost half of all house fires started in the kitchen.
"All too often, people who are deaf, deaf-blind and hard of hearing miss out on important information, including public announcements, warnings and alarms," she said.
"Without the scheme, the prohibitively expensive cost denies deaf, deaf-blind and hard of hearing people the right to make the same choices about their home fire safety."
Details: http://deafsocietynsw.org.au/smokealarms or 8833 3600.
