Installation of HFADs in HDB public rental flats

1. What is a Home Fire Alarm Device (HFAD)?

A Home Fire Alarm Device (HFAD) is an automatic smoke detector.

2. Why do residents need a HFAD?

Smoke detectors are effective in providing residents in the flat with early warning of

fire. Upon detection of smoke from fires, the HFAD will sound an alarm. This allows

occupants to be alerted of fires early, and to escape safely before the fire escalates,

thus minimising fire injuries and fatalities.

3. What is the HFAD Assistance Scheme for HDB public rental flats?

The SCDF announced in November 2017 that SCDF, HDB and PA were working

together to provide free installation of HFADs for all 60,000 HDB public rental flats.

This initiative is known as the HFAD Assistance Scheme.

The HFAD installation will commence in June 2018, and will be carried out in

phases from 2018 to 2021, starting with housing estates with a higher number of

rental households with elderly occupants.

4. Who is eligible for the HFAD assistance scheme?

Households staying in HDB public rental flats without a HFAD will be eligible for this

assistance scheme.

5. Is the HFAD installation mandatory in existing HDB public rental flats?

Installation of HFAD(s) is only mandatory for new residential homes, as well as

existing homes carrying out fire safety works, with plans submitted to

SCDF/BCA/HDB on or after 1 June 2018Installation of HFADs in HDB public rental flats

It is not mandatory to install the HFAD(s) for existing residential homes (including

public rental flats) not carrying out fire safety works. Nonetheless, existing

homeowners/tenants are strongly encouraged to install HFADs for their own safety.

6. When can I make the request to install the HFAD?

The HFAD installation will commence in June 2018, and will be carried out in

phases from 2018 to 2021, starting with housing estates with a higher number of

rental households with elderly occupants.

Eligible residents will be notified by a letter. Upon receiving the letter, they can follow

the instructions on the letter to register for a HFAD installation date. HFAD installers

will contact the resident nearer the HFAD installation date to confirm the

approximate installation timing.

7. I am staying in an existing HDB public rental flat that does not have a HFAD. How can I request for assistance to install a HFAD in my flat?

Any resident aged 21 and above, and currently staying in a HDB public rental flat

without a HFAD installed, can request for HFAD installation after receiving the

notification letter. The resident can request for a HFAD installation via any of the

following means:

(a) Visit SCDF website at www.scdf.gov.sg/HFAD;

(b) Access mySCDF mobile application and click on the HFAD icon; or

(c) Call SCDF at 6848 3236 (office hours).

You will need to provide the following information when requesting for a HFAD

installation date:

(a) Last 5 characters of NRIC (eg. If your NRIC is 1234567A, then you will need to

provide “4567A”.

(b) Your postal code

(c) Your floor number and unit number

Residents can arrange for HFAD installations to be carried out on Mondays to

Saturdays (excluding public holidays which will not be available), either in the

morning timeslot (from 9am to 12.30pm) or afternoon timeslot (1.30pm to 5pm).

9. Who will pay for the installation of the home fire alarm device under this

HFAD Assistance Scheme?

Installation of a HFAD for eligible households staying in public rental flats is

free for the tenants of HDB public rental flats.

10. How many HFADs do a HDB rental flat require? How many HFADs are each

eligible household entitled to?

Each HDB public rental flat will qualify for one free HFAD, including installation.

Residents planning to install more than one HFAD, can make arrangements with

the HFAD installer. Additional HFADs will be chargeable.

11. How and where will the HFAD be installed? Will the HFAD installation affect

other residents in the HDB block?

The HFAD installer will be present at your flat during the agreed appointment time.

The HFAD installer will produce his staff pass from the company (Federal Fire

Engineering Pte Ltd or Firetronics Pte Ltd) to show that they are authorised to carry

out the HFAD installation works.

The HFAD installer will install the HFAD onto your ceiling by drilling a few holes on

the ceiling to attach the HFAD. The amount of work involved is small, and hence,

not likely to affect residents. Each installation process should take about 30 minutes

or less.

The HFAD will be installed on the ceiling of the living room within the HDB public

rental flats. It will have to be installed somewhere in the middle of the living room,

at least 3 metres away from the kitchen and away from any sources of smoke, so

as to avoid false alarms. The HFAD installer will advise on a suitable location upon

visiting the flat.

After the installation, the installation vendor will provide a A4-size guide and fridge

magnet to educate the resident on how to use and maintain the device, the warranty

period of the device, and the contact number of the vendor for any future enquiries.

The installation vendor will also do a physical demonstration on how the device can

be used.

12. What are the key features of the HFAD? Are there any accessories or user

manual that come with the HFAD?

Either of the two types of HFADs may be installed for the resident: (i) Basic HFAD,

or (ii) HFAD for the Deaf.

Basic HFAD

The basic HFAD will come with the following features:

(a) Indicator light to inform occupant on the status/condition of the system/device

(b) Silence/Reset feature to address false alarms

(c) Test button to allow the system/device to be tested and checked periodically

(d) Sounder to alert occupants in the home

(e) Powered by long-life lithium batteries that last about 10 years under normal

usage conditions

The following materials/accessories for the basic HFAD will also be given to the

resident:

(a) HFAD Testing stick

(b) A4 size leaflet containing information about the HFAD and the HFAD installer

(in any of the four official languages i.e English, Chinese, Malay, Tamil)

(c) Fridge magnet containing information about the HFAD and the HFAD installer

(in any of the four official languages i.e English, Chinese, Malay, Tamil)

(d) Card containing the contact details of the HFAD installer and the HFAD expiry

date

HFAD for the Deaf

The HFAD for the Deaf will come with the following features:

(a) Indicator light to inform occupant on the status/condition of the system/device

(b) Silence/Reset feature to address false alarms

(c) Test button to allow the system/device to be tested and checked periodically

(d) Sounder to alert occupants in the home

(e) Powered by long-life lithium batteries that last about 10 years under normal

usage conditions

The following materials/accessories for the HFAD for the Deaf will also be given to

the resident:

(a) HFAD remote control

(b) Visual alarm (strobe light) with a 3-pin plug that can be connected to the power

socket, as well as a standby battery

(c) Vibration device that is connected by wire to the visual alarm device

(d) A4 size leaflet containing information about the HFAD and the HFAD installer

(in any of the four official languages i.e English, Chinese, Malay, Tamil)

(e) Fridge magnet containing information about the HFAD and the HFAD installer

(in any of the four official languages i.e English, Chinese, Malay, Tamil)

(f) Card containing the contact details of the HFAD installer and the HFAD expiry

date.

14. Is the HFAD suitable for occupants who are deaf?

If there is a deaf occupant in your HDB public rental flat, a resident staying in that

HDB rental flat can request for the HFAD for the Deaf.

To qualify for the HFAD for the Deaf, the deaf occupant must be a member of the

Singapore Association for the Deaf (SADeaf), or must have been certified by an

audiologist or medical professional/therapist to be deaf.

Residents can indicate the above when requesting for a HFAD.

15. Who are the HFAD installers? How do I know whether the HFAD installers

are authorised to install HFADs in my HDB rental flat?

The HFAD installers are either from Federal Fire Engineering Pte Ltd or Firetronics

Pte Ltd. The contact details of the HFAD installers are below:

Federal Fire Engineering Pte Ltd

Address: 12 Chin Bee Drive, Singapore 619868

Contact Number: 6862 5180

Type of HFADs eligible to install: HFAD for the Deaf

Firetronics Pte Ltd

Address: 14 woodlands Walk, Singapore 738394

Contact Number: 6484 1201

Type of HFADs eligible to install: Basic HFAD

The HFAD installers will only turn up on your scheduled HFAD installation timeslot,

and will show their company passes to demonstrate that they are the authorised

HFAD installers. If a contact number is provided, the HFAD installers will also

contact you to confirm the installation date and time.

16. What should I do if I need to reschedule the HFAD installation?

If an eligible resident has previously requested for a HFAD installation after

receiving the notification letter, but wishes to change the HFAD installation date,

the resident can reschedule another HFAD installation date via any of the following

means:

(a) Visit SCDF website at www.scdf.gov.sg/HFAD;

(b) Access mySCDF mobile application and click on the HFAD icon; or

(c) Call SCDF at 6848 3236 (office hours).

You will need to provide the following information when requesting for a HFAD

installation date:

(a) Last 5 characters of NRIC (eg. If your NRIC is 1234567A, then you will need to

provide “4567A”.

(b) Your postal code

(c) Your floor number and unit number

17. What should I do if I have missed the HFAD installation?

The resident can reschedule another HFAD installation date via any of the following

means:

(a) Visit SCDF website at

www.scdf.gov.sg/HFAD;

(b) Access mySCDF mobile application and click on the HFAD icon; or

(c) Call SCDF at 6848 3236 (office hours).

You will need to provide the following information when requesting for a HFAD

installation date:

(a) Last 5 characters of NRIC (eg. If your NRIC is 1234567A, then you will need to

provide “4567A”.

(b) Your postal code

(c) Your floor number and unit number

18. What are the documentation that I should show to the installer during the

HFAD installation?

If you are installing the Basic HFAD, then you do not need to show any

documentation to the HFAD installer.

However, if you are installing the HFAD for the Deaf, then you will need to provide

a copy of the Singapore Association for the Deaf (SADeaf) membership card (See

Q13), or a copy of the certificate by an audiologist or medical professional/therapist

certifying the occupant to be deaf.

19. Do I need to sign on any document to acknowledge a successful HFAD

installation in my flat?

Yes. The resident will need to sign on a completion form to acknowledge the

successful installation of the HFAD.

20. If I do not want the HFAD model that is provided under this HFAD

Assistance Scheme, can I opt not to install the HFAD or install my own

HFAD?

Installation of HFAD for existing HDB public rental flats is voluntary. However, if you

choose to install other models of HFAD that is different from the one provided by

the HFAD installer, then you will need to pay for that HFAD. Other alternative HFAD

models are not covered under this HFAD Assistance Scheme.

21. Is the HFAD connected to any SCDF premises?

The HFAD is a standalone device intended to alert occupants within the flat of any

fire/smoke only. It is not connected to any SCDF premises.

22. When will the HFAD Assistance Scheme for HDB public rental flats end?

The HFAD Assistance Scheme for HDB public rental flats will end in 2021.

23. Who can I contact if I have queries regarding this HFAD Assistance

Scheme?

To find out more about HFAD, you may:

(a) Visit SCDF website at www.scdf.gov.sg/HFAD; or

(b) Contact SCDF at 1800 286 5555 (office hours).

24. Who is responsible for maintaining the HFAD and ensuring that it is kept in

good working condition?

Tenants and occupiers staying in the HDB public rental flats are responsible for

ensuring that the HFADs are kept in good working condition.

25. What type of maintenance is required?

The HFAD(s) provided by the HFAD installers come with built-in batteries that can

last around 10 years. Therefore, there is no need to replace the batteries annually.

At the end of the 10-year shelf life of the HFADs, when the battery lifespan is

depleted, HDB will replace the HFADs with new ones.

Tenants/Occupiers staying in the rental flats should test the HFADs regularly (about

once a month) to ensure the HFADs are working. At the point of HFAD installation,

the HFAD installers will demonstrate to the resident how to test the HFADs using

the test stick (for basic HFAD) or remote control (for HFAD for the Deaf). Residents

just need to follow the guidelines given by the HFAD installers to test the HFADs to

make sure the devices are operational.

26. Is there any HFAD user guide given to the resident during the HFAD

installation?

Each HFADs will come with a user manual. Apart from the user manual, the HFAD

installers will provide simple HFAD guides below to assist the resident in using the

HFAD.

(a) A4 size leaflet containing information about the HFAD and the HFAD installer;

(b) Fridge magnet containing information about the HFAD and the HFAD installer;

(c) Card containing the contact details of the HFAD installer and the HFAD expiry

date.

The resident may contact the HFAD installer directly if he/she encounters problems

with the HFADs.

27. What should I do if I need to request for the HFAD user guides in another

language?

The resident may contact the HFAD installer if he/she needs to request for HFAD

user guides in other languages.

28. Is this device sensitive to smoke? Will cooking or burning religious

paraphernalia cause false alarms? How should residents prevent false

alarms by the HFAD?

Generally, cooking or burning of religious paraphernalia will not cause false alarms

unless these activities are carried out in close proximity to the HFADs. If there are

frequent false alarms, residents could consider moving the HFAD away from

locations with frequent presence of smoke and fumes (e.g. cooking stoves or

praying altars). Residents can also contact the HFAD installer to ascertain if the

device is functioning properly.

29. What should residents do when the HFAD alarm sounds within their unit or

their neighbour’s unit?

If the HFAD emits an alarm, residents should:

(a) Check for the presence of smoke or fire within the home.

(b) If a fire is detected, extinguish it using a fire extinguisher. If the fire is spreading

quickly, evacuate everyone from the home and call 995 to report the fire.

(c) If there is no smoke or fire, it could be a false alarm due to a malfunction or

inadvertent activation (e.g. smoke from cooking).

(d) If it is certain that there is no emergency within the home, the device can be

reset by pressing the “Silence/Reset” button. Do refer to your user

guide/manual how to silence a false alarm.

30. How will the resident know if the HFAD needs to be replaced? Who should I

contact if the HFAD needs to be replaced?

A HFAD should be replaced if:

•The HFAD indicates that the battery is running low.

•The HFAD is not functioning properly upon pressing the ‘Test’ function/button.

•The HFAD has detected high volumes of smoke and the sensing chamber is

contaminated. This typically results in failed attempts to silence the HFAD.

Residents should contact the HFAD supplier when in doubt.

31. Can the HFAD or the battery within the HFAD be removed at any time?

The battery within the HFAD cannot be removed. There is also no need to remove

the battery as it lasts about 10 years. For instance, if multiple attempts at silencing the HFAD alarm fails, this could possibly indicate a dirty sensing chamber repeatedly triggering the HFAD.

The HFAD installed on the ceiling should also not be removed unnecessarily from

the ceiling or from its mounting plate. However, if a resident is away from home for

an extended period, the resident may opt to temporarily deactivate the HFAD by

removing it from the mounting plate. The resident must restore the HFAD upon

returning home.

32. How do I know the warranty period of the HFAD? When the warranty will

expire?

Each HFAD comes with warranty of 10 years form the date of HFAD installation.

Residents will be given a card indicating the HFAD device warranty expiry date as

well as the HFAD installer contact details. Residents can also refer to the sticker on

the HFAD for more details on the approximate expiry period of the HFAD device.

33. How do I contact the HFAD installer?

Residents will be provided with the contact details of the HFAD installer via an A4-

size HFAD guide, a fridge magnet, and a name card containing the HFAD installer

contact details and HFAD expiry date. The contact details of the HFAD installer can

also be found on a sticker on the HFAD.