Smarter fire detection

May 2, 2023

Fire alarm systems are regulated by building and fire alarm codes adopted by the municipality in which the facility resides. Because different municipalities may adopt different codes, how a system operates or is installed at one location might be quite different at another location. As fire alarm systems are so essential for the safety of the employees and the well-being of the facility, it is critical to have a thorough working knowledge of the operation of the system and the security officer’s role in its successful use. It is also very important to understand the proper operation of the system and the expectations of the fire department.

Fire alarm systems typically have a main control panel with a display. If necessary, additional displays can be installed in other areas. Larger systems may incorporate a graphical display of the facility and locations of the various sensors therein. Where the alarm must be monitored offsite, a communicator or dialer is installed to allow the fire alarm to send alerts to an alarm company central station or, in some rare cases, to the fire department.

Like intrusion alarm systems, fire alarms can be connected with a number of devices on a zone. Newer, larger fire alarm systems (and intrusion alarm systems as well) utilize a multiplex loop, where all of the devices are connected on the same loop, with each device having its own unique identifier or address. This type of system is known as a multiplex or addressable system. The largest fire alarm systems integrate dozens or hundreds of control panels across several facilities, with a dedicated main computer in the company command center for monitoring.

Smart Fire Protection

As the pace of urban construction in our country continues to accelerate, the new generation of information technology represented by mobile Internet has played an increasing indispensable part in the administration, public services of government departments, the management, business models of enterprises and the people. The life of the city has had a profound impact.

In addition, the application of fire alarm computer monitoring system in fire protection engineering has also become an inevitable trend of urban fire protection construction. The informatisation of urban construction and management is gradually developing from digitisation and networking to automation and intelligence.

The construction of smart cities has become a general trend. “Smart fire protection” is a significant sub-module under the public safety sector, an important part of the smart public safety application field in the construction of smart cities, and the specific application of smart cities in the field of urban fire protection. From the perspective of urban management, urban public safety is a key area of smart city construction, covering urban fire safety. The fire alarm computer monitoring system in fire protection engineering belongs to smart fire protection. It is a brand-new concept. It is still in the development stage and there is no authoritative and unified definition and standard. This aspect of smart fire protection should cover all aspects of urban fire safety.

By acquiring key information on fire safety, data analysis can provide decision support for urban fire safety management, key fire protection units, fire protection equipment manufacturers, insurance institutions and scientific research institutions. Realize the overall transformation and upgrade of the fire protection industry. …

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