Smart Firefighting Technologies Save Lives and Protect Property

Advances in electrical engineering and fire alarm systems design have changed the way that the fire protection community and general public think about fire detection and prevention. The days of bucket brigades working feverishly to keep a small house fire from spreading and burning down an entire town are long gone. Professional firefighters and building owners have come to appreciate the essential role of fire detection and alarm technology.

Modern fire alarm systems include high-tech features such as drift compensation, individualized smoke detection sensitivity and automatic maintenance alerts. Fire detection engineers have even reduced the amount of time required to detect an actual fire. Fire alarm systems are no longer thought of as necessary nuisances.

Smart Firefighting Technology

Breakthroughs in microelectronic technology have led to vast improvements in the sensitivity and reliability of smoke detection sensors. The combination of inexpensive microcontrollers and mathematical formulae has thoroughly revolutionized the smoke detection industry. Smart smoke alarm technology has improved the performance of home and commercial alarm systems without imposing a corresponding rise in cost.

The number of deaths caused by fire steadily declines as advanced firefighting methods and technologies come on line. Ongoing research continues to search for ways to improve the accuracy of smoke detection sensors and ways to reduce nuisance alarm activations.

The use of smart fire detection systems is spreading rapidly in the professional firefighting community. Smart fire alarm technology is now available for buildings of all sizes. It is believed that addressable smoke detection systems have been installed in more than half of all nonresidential facilities. This rapid increase in market share can be attributed to the ingenuity of the fire detection and alarm engineering systems.