Implementation of
fire safety equipment is highly critical in buildings as well as industrial facilities for the safety of people and the prevention of significant loss due to fire. The increasing fire safety awareness coupled with strict regulatory standards & government efforts, and increased rate of fire safety system deployment in various industries are factors bolstering the market growth. The surge in demand for advanced fire safety systems for mining industries, automotive, oil & gas exploration, construction, and energy & power industries are the other factors anticipated to fuel the market growth. Besides, the reconstruction activities, as well as the implementation of building safety codes against fire protection, will further positively impact market growth.
Fire safety consists of numerous disciplines that begin with detection, alarming, evacuation & extinguishing of danger & building management. Only when all of them are carefully geared to each other as well as your specific requirements, organizations can be assured that their visitors, assets, employees, & guests are maximally protected.
The fire safety equipment industry must come up with innovative solutions as it helps in saving lives of people. Some of the technologies that are implemented in the
Fire alarm and detection industry to come up with innovative solutions include:
IoT in Fire safety systems
Fire safety is one of the various industries which can realize the huge benefits of the Internet of Things. The IoT has resulted in much of the world evolving into smarter & more connected. With IoT, now safety alerts can be sent to a large number of people fast & effectively. Therefore, much leading fire safety organizations have launched IoT-enabled fire detectors.
IoT enabled connected detectors
The reason why many leading organizations are rendering connected smoke detectors for residential use is that they have the capability to communicate with the Thermostat, which can close the furnace during a fire. However, what is more, stunning about these connector devices is that they can be accessed from anywhere through the usage of mobile apps. Furthermore, during the event of an alarm, the detectors sound a local alarm as well as send notifications to the users’
mobile phones.
Mass Notification system
Most facility owners & managers are coming to know the real benefits of integrating all the building systems that including mass notification and security systems. A unified mass notification system is something that acts as a platform for delivering a message to a group of people. Earlier, these systems provided only one-way message delivery through email, text message, or reverse 911 calling mechanisms. However, today through the integration of these systems users can improve the oversight as well as management of numerous systems from a single point of control.
Wireless technology
While wireless technology continues to spread widely across the security industry, fire alarms also are not predicted to stay on the sidelines. These days, wireless smoke detectors come in more compact as well as streamlined designs as these can be more appealing. But what is more significant about this trend is the absence of the need for wire installations in difficult spaces. These include finished rooms & historical buildings. If wireless fire alarm systems come under the category of more affordable & feasible products, it will lead to a surge in demand for wireless fire alarm systems.
Voice alert systems
Systems that announce danger with pre-recorded message continues to gain traction and at present is not going to reduce their demand in the near future. While voice alert systems allow offering specific life safety instructions & safety measures to evacuate people, it is not only effective for fire events but used in numerous other emergencies as well such as a hazardous chemical spill, and bad weather. Additionally, voice alert systems help the building managers to speak through these systems for rendering basic information for evacuating the building. Most importantly, studies have shown that when compared to simple sirens & recorded voice people have an increased reaction to voice instructions.
Machine learning
The fastest-growing application for ML in the building segment is for improving maintenance. While Machine Learning technologies are implemented for swift maintenance of the fire alarm systems, Machine learning applications are highly automated, embedded & self-modifying. These algorithms are designed for continuous adapting and improvement of their performance with minimal human intervention. ML algorithms are also embedded within a process or workflow such that they become seamlessly integrated into the process to the point where they are invisible to the user or operator.
“Building Management & Home Security Systems can algorithmically predict issues with energy & water consumption, elevator & fire safety, HVAC and infrastructural issues. The need to ensure efficiency in utility spending and resident safety has taken paramount importance,” says Abhinav Aggarwal, Head-IT, Mahindra Lifespaces.
The road ahead
Although safety technology has arrived a long way, technology alone is not sufficient, this is because most often, disasters do not occur only owing to faulty equipment but also occur due to poor implementation as well as improper planning. Therefore, deploying advanced safety technology will not lead to improving safety unless the technology is properly implemented and maintained and appropriate regulations and procedures should be in place as well as adhered to rigidly.
