From apps that can tell building residents what to do in a fire, to smart psrinklers and localised external fire detection and suppression, new technologies have the potential to make buildings safer and evacuation faster. Developments in fire detection technology are also reducing the incidence of false alarms and reducing the likelihood of vandalism or malicious activation. At the same time the digital revolution is finally hitting the building industry catalysed by the post Grenfell review into building regulations by Dame Judith Hackitt. In her final report published in May she recommended that a digital record of all high-rise residential buildings is established and held by the duty holder, explaining that this ‘golden thread’ of good quality information will enable future building owners to better manage their buildings safely.

But there are major challenges to adoption of new technologies and methods from a reluctance from developers to invest in measures that take buildings beyond minimum standards, government’s reluctance to prescribe any hard measures to improve safety and the slow and expensive approvals process.

In this final episode of our fire mini-series, we consider these new developments as we look to the future for fire safety.

GUESTS

Curtis Massey, Massey Emergency Management

Bobby Wilson, 10 Hudson Yards

Zachary Magnone, Johnson Controls

Ian Moore, Fire Industry Association

The post FIRE 4: New tech for a safer future first appeared on Engineering Matters.