A B O U T

Maximum Security (MS: from 1993 to 2000)
was a multi-national, award-winning franchise founded in 1993 by Adrian Butler and Karl Westwell. MS had over 100 franchisees and staff operating across New Zealand and Australia.

Maximum FIre And Safety (MFAS: from 1997)
is a Lockyer Valley-based, sole trader business founded in 1997. It used to sell ionization smoke alarms until 2000, when a life-threatening problem with them was discovered. MFAS sells fire extinguishers and fire blankets. It does not sell, or profit, directly or indirectly, from the sale of any smoke alarms.

Background
In 1997 Maximum Fire & Safety (MFS) was set up as a division of Maximum Security (see Franchise Magazine Report) to sell and install smoke alarms, fire extinguishers and fire blankets. Butler was a former full-time firefighter. 99% of alarms sold were ionization. At that time photoelectrics were more than 3 times the price of ionisation alarms and were mainly sold for environmental reasons, i.e. because they do not contain radioactive material.

Smoke Alarm Failures
After MFS sold tens of thousands of ioniSation alarms, numerous customers complained that their alarms failed to go off in real-world fires, despite them being extremely sensitive to cooking.

World Fire Safety Foundation (WFSF: from March, 2000)
Butler investigated and discovered the problem with ioniSation alarms was reported by the International Association of Fire Chiefs (U.S.A.) in 1980. In March 2000 Butler and Westwell set up the World Fire Safety Foundation. The Foundation's mission is to save lives by exposing flawed smoke alarm standards and to help eliminate ionization alarms globally in favour of the safe, proven photoelectric alternatives.

The Alarming Truth
In March 2024 the WFSF's book, 'The Alarming Truth!' will be published. It will detail the Foundation's twenty two year battle to warn the public about ionization alarms and to introduce photoelectric legislation globally.  

The World Fire Safety Foundation
Not-For-Profit | Does Not Solicit or Accept Donations

The Foundation has been instrumental in nationwide, photoelectric-specific smoke alarm legislation in Australia, New Zealand and the U.S.A. It has been a catalyst in safer smoke alarm legislation (interconnectivity/all bedrooms) in the U.K. and Europe.