MEDIA RELEASE
November 21, 2008		110/2008

Smoke alarms were installed in 97% of Victorian households in 2007, an increase from 84% in 1998, according to a report released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistcs.

Almost 2 million households had smoke alarms in October 2007, and 85% had manually tested their alarms in the previous 12 months.

However, more than 50,000 households still remain without smoke alarms.

Other highlights from the survey include:

• Households in the outer east of Melbourne were much more prepared for emergencies than those in inner Melbourne, but the emergency preparedness of Melbourne households generally was similar to those in regional Victoria.

• There were almost 50,000 households in Victoria with someone unable to understand emergency instructions in English; these households generally had lower levels of emergency preparedness.

• One in four households in regional Victoria felt at risk of bushfires; in Melbourne the highest perceived bushfire risks were felt to be by households in the outer east and Mornington Peninsula.

• Over 150,000 households experienced an emergency in the last two years - nearly half of these were caused by storms, wind or hail.

• Overall, most people didn't contact emergency services unless their home was threatened by a bushfire.

• There were 67,000 households with an emergency services volunteer - these households generally had higher levels of emergency preparedness.

More information can be found in the Victorian Household Preparedness for Emergencies feature article contained in State and Regional Indicators, Victoria (cat. no. 1367.2), available for free download from the ABS website <www.abs.gov.au>.