According to the National Office of Statistics , over 300,000 false alarms were raised in the UK in 2014 / 15 . The FIA quotes the estimated cost of false alarms in the UK as being in excess of £ 1bn a year . The fire protection industry has been facing the challenge to improve the design of detectors so that they detect and alert to real fires , whilst minimising the risk of false alarms . False alarms are caused by many factors , therefore there cannot be a single solution to preventing them either . Technology solutions
Developments in fire detection technology are making a massive contribution to reducing the incidents of false alarms . Different types of fire detectors are suitable for a number of applications . Each form part of the technology solution , for example multisensor detectors .
By definition multisensor detectors house more than one sensor eg . heat and optical sensors . Therefore , they have the ability to measure multiple fire phenomena and / or different aspects of the same fire phenomenon . Combined , the readings can help to discriminate between a genuine fire and a nuisance signal and then make the appropriate failsafe decision .
Compared to a straightforward single sensor detector , the decision which multisensor detector to choose is more complicated ; and that is before all the different modes and settings available are taken into account .
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Detector modes and algorithms have to be matched carefully with the potential fire risk when the system is being designed . Extreme care must be taken not to be overly concerned with avoiding false alarms at the risk of missing a genuine alarm . There are many fires that produce smoke but little heat ( especially at ceiling height where the detector is most likely installed ) or carbon monoxide .
Well designed multisensor detectors in carefully selected modes can detect more fires than many single-sensor detectors . Algorithms will increase the accuracy of the detector and help to filter out most false alarms if correctly applied .
Fire industry skills
Even the most advanced technology will not make fire protection systems more safe and efficient if engineers and system designers are not given access to information and training . The fire protection industry is already experiencing a massive skills shortage and the situation will only get worse as more and more experienced engineers retire and if new engineers can ’ t be recruited and trained in the near future .
Apart from designing and installing new systems , engineers and installers are dealing with an increasing number of maintenance issues with , or upgrades to , existing fire protection systems . Understanding the impact of maintenance
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‘ Developments in fire detection technology are making a massive contribution to reducing the incidents of false alarms .’ |
on the performance of an existing system is vital before any changes or adjustments are made . Refurbishment and renovation of existing buildings may result in a complete change of use , eg . from offices to flats or warehouse to offices . Although the fire protection system may be deemed to be appropriate for the fabric of the building , the fire risks for the use will have to be reassessed and the fire protection system upgraded , even if the individual components are working fine .
At the same time as keeping up with the latest in fire protection technology and system design , engineers and installers need to be aware of the most common causes of false alarms , and some of the rarer ones . This knowledge is the first step in minimising the impact of false alarms .
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Modes and settings
Even in detectors with more than one sensor , the decision on when to go to alarm is increasingly not just made by the hardware in the detector . Specially developed algorithms and communication protocols interconnect detectors and allow information and verification exchanges . The suitability of a detector cannot be based on sensor technology alone anymore .
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44 | July 2017 |