According to multiple research agencies, the fire safety market could see steady growth in the coming years, as authorities worldwide seek to tighten rules and improve safety. But unlike many other industries, fire safety has always had demand due to its life-saving nature. What’s now changing is that the buildings that they need to protect are also evolving. The smart buildings market will grow at a CAGR of 12.6 percent from 2019 to 2026, according to Fortune Business Insights. Efforts to reduce carbon footprint and make more energy-efficient buildings could be the main driver behind this growth. As smart buildings grow, so do the need to protect them from fire-related incidents. For this, the fire safety industry should embrace smart technology. In this article, we explore the new technologies entering fire safety and how building operators can future-proof themselves.
These new technologies are making fire safety systems smarter
For a prolonged time, developments in the fire safety sector have not been as fast as those seen in video surveillance or other security sectors. Several reasons contribute to this, from customers being satisfied with what they have to low interest in investing in this segment. However, significant changes are now seen in fire safety, with digitalization making inroads into the segment.
The faster adoption of IP
Over the last decade, fire protection has been transformed by the rise of addressable, IP-based devices embedded in networked fire alarm system infrastructure, according to Andreas Kahl, Head of Software Engineering and Fire Alarm Systems at Bosch Building Technologies. “The scalability and modular architecture of digital fire alarm systems have unlocked a new level of fire safety, for instance, by pinpointing the exact location of a triggered smoke detector in an alarm, or by interfacing with public address systems for phased building evacuations,” Kahl explained. “For system integrators, installation and maintenance of alarm systems have reached new levels of efficiency – including automated service alerts and far fewer false alarms – with unprecedented cost savings.”
Moving to IoT
With that said, all elements are in place for the second, even more fundamental transformation in fire protection. Kahl added that soon, a growing amount of networked fire alarm systems would be connected to the Internet of Things (IoT). This is part of a larger trend across industries, including smart homes and smart buildings automated by a mixture of sensor data and artificial intelligence (AI). The number of IoT-connected devices worldwide is expected to exceed 14 billion by 2022, more than half of the world’s 28.5 billion connected devices.
Addressable notification
One of the most significant advances in life safety systems is addressable notification. According to Rodger Reiswig, Fellow and VP of Industry Relations at Johnson Controls, although the industry has had addressable initiating devices for several decades now, the move to change notification appliances to follow suit had not occurred until a few years ago. “Since appliances, including, horns, strobes and speakers are now addressable the ability for them to be selectively activated by software and not by how they are physically wired offers greater flexibility to the building owner/ manager,” Reiswig said. “Also, with selective control is the ability for these appliances to perform an automated test. Essentially, if a device can functionally test itself, mimic a functional test, and report if the device passed or failed and perform this at the same interval as the table in NFPA 72, then it is deemed equivalent to sending a person around to test each device. This ability offers an owner/ manager the ability to test their system much faster than ever and with much less disruption to the occupants.”
New communication systems
Communication is critical to fire safety. A significant change that the industry is seeing at the moment is that the use of telephone lines for central station monitoring is going away as the traditional POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) is being phased out. Cellular and IP communicators are the technology being used most at present. “Another system that is not specifically a fire alarm system but often falls under the responsibility of the fire alarm contractors are ERRCS, Emergency Responder Radio Coverage Systems,” said Ray Dotts, Project Manager at Telgian Engineering and Consulting. “These systems requirements are being enforced more and more each day. First responders depend on radio communications, and if the communications in a building do not work, lives are at stake.”
Cloud-based solutions
Cloud-based solutions are making inroads into every segment now, and the fire industry is no exception. According to Thomas Dols, Global Software Product Manager at Siemens Smart Infrastructure, when protecting a building against fire incidents, the ultimate level of protection is to make the communication, between the fire protection system and the interfaces that collect data, quick, reliable, and smart. “It starts with ensuring that all data is continuously available remotely so that system performance can be monitored and managed using any computer, laptop, or mobile device – anytime and anywhere,” Dols said.
The rising role of IoT in fire detection and safety
There is no doubt that IoT is slowly revolutionizing most of the traditional industries. According to Thomas Dols, Global Software Product Manager at Siemens Smart Infrastructure, the way we work, protect against fire, and conduct fire safety services have changed over the past years.
Digitalization has been driving this change, transforming traditional fire safety services into a modern and more productive business,” Dols said. “With this new offering, we are in the heart of IoT, with the clear goal to safely connect as many of our fire safety hardware products as possible. For customers, this will mean better use of fire engineering experts, better maintenance services, and even new business model opportunities.”
The advantage IoT brings
IoT (Internet of Things) has offered the ability of life safety systems to connect to the world. An owner/manager can now connect to their life safety systems from anywhere in the world with a phone, tablet, or any connected device. “Although systems can be connected to the world, safety concerns do come into play,” said Rodger Reiswig, Fellow and VP of Industrial Relations at Johnson Controls. “Can the system be compromised by hostile activity from hackers? There now needs to be safeguards implemented to prevent such takeovers or malicious activity to life safety systems. This has become such an issue of concern that both UL and NFPA are taking action to implement listing Standards for products as well as installation practices for cybersecurity.”
For owners/managers, there is now the ability to integrate their life safety systems without having to be on site. This saves valuable time and resources. A customer can also have their installer and maintainer, with the owner’s permission, integrate the system, and help diagnose any issues before ever arriving on the scene.
The possibilities of IoT
Most major companies are exploring what more they can do to leverage the power of IoT. Bosch, for instance, has set a strategic target for all of our electronic product categories is to be IoT-enabled by 2020. This vision is supported by the “3S” in Bosch’s connectivity business: sensors, software, and services. In developing and implementing services and solutions for the connected world, Bosch customers benefit from its expertise in software and sensor technology as well as in its broad business portfolio. “When it comes to bringing the IoT into the fire safety segment, Bosch envisions a future in which connected devices –and their data – open up new kinds of services that offer significant benefits to end customers and system integrators,” said Andreas Kahl, Head of Software Engineering and Fire Alarm Systems at Bosch Building Technologies. “This digital transformation journey is already well underway, as IoT-based applications are already enhancing the fire safety service offering on several levels. As a prerequisite, networked system architecture such as fire panels and sensors need to connect to the internet via nodes, hubs, and gateways in a secure manner. With this connection in place, the system can communicate with a cloud application server via IP protocol to send real-time data such as device health, battery status, and event history.” While IoT-based Remote Services already provides major efficiency gains for system integrators, we’re only just scratching the surface of what is possible, Kahl added.
The foundation for next-generation IoT-connected services is already created today, as the integration between sensors, software, and services increases. It will not only be crucial for devices to work together within the same network. In the process of building end-to-end fire safety systems that are ready to connect with the IoT, seamless interfaces with third-party apps and platforms via APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) will be a competitive advantage for the system technology providers. It will be even more important that systems can communicate with apps or building management software. On the same note, the ability to provide integrated, IoT-connected services on a secure backbone – safe from hackers and malicious attacks – will be indispensable, because system data is the most valuable resource moving forward. This data holds the key to what comes next.
Slow adoption
IoT is still in the early stages in the fire safety industry, despite their benefits. Cristina Aragon Vandenbent, Fire Protection Consultant at Telgian Engineering and Consulting, said that most of their customers have not yet taken advantage of any IoT-related developments for fire alarm systems but are researching, testing and evaluating them. “IP networking of control panels and mass notification systems are among some of our newly awarded contracts,” Vandenbent said. “The advantage of networking the Fire Alarm Control Panels is enhanced supervision, flexibility in code-compliant wiring schemes, and ground isolation.” Some of the enhanced features can include notification to personal phones, computers, and other notification type devices. These features can act as a supplemental reporting network. These features are just some of the things that make this new technology exciting.
How important is video surveillance camera-based verification for fire safety?
When video verification is implemented, a central monitoring station can “see” the fire. When they notify the first responders, they will relay relevant information such as the fact that it is a real fire, how big the fire is at the time, and the exact location of the fire, so the responders know where to enter and can prepare to fight the fire.
From a life-safety standpoint, video verification can be implemented to monitor a fire event,” said Cristina Aragon Vandenbent, Fire Protection Consultant at Telgian Engineering and Consulting. “The personnel at the monitoring station can “see” the fire and be able to relay information to the first responders so they can respond accordingly.”
How does video verification help?
The most obvious benefit of using surveillance cameras to verify fire is reducing false alarms. However, the use of this solution offers more to the customer. For instance, traditional fire detection systems work only when smoke or heat reaches the sensors, which are often on the ceiling. Cameras, on the other hand, can detect a fire almost as soon as it breaks out and provide first responders with at least a few seconds of additional time to deal with it. “Video-based fire detection delivers a huge time benefit compared to standard fire detection solutions because the fire can be detected directly at the source, allowing alarms to be triggered much earlier,” Theresa Grunewald, Global Business Development AVIOTEC at Bosch Building Technologies. “In addition, video-based fire detection can be installed in locations in which conventional systems cannot be used effectively, like in dusty and humid environments or in building with high ceilings or in open areas. Video images provide an easy way of verifying the alarm. It also allows combining fire detection with video surveillance in one system.” Rodger Reiswig, Fellow and VP of Industrial Relations at Johnson Controls, pointed out that video verification has traditionally been used more in the security world but has started to be utilized in fire safety systems.
What about regulatory approval for this?
Fire safety regulations differ from country to country, and when using any new technology, there is some confusion on its legal validity for compliance purposes. Reiswig explained that as such, NFPA 72 has first started to address this with supervising station verification as an allowance. If the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) approves, there is now an option for a fire-alarm system monitoring company to contact the property first. If the property representative states there is a need, then the supervising station can call the first responders for them to take action. Of course, fire safety is mostly a traditional industry in which solutions like cameras are still in nascent stages. To Reiswig, this is a good start, but the journey has just begun, “There is much more that needs to take place, but this is the basic idea of verified alarms,” Reiswig said. “Video verification is the next step towards this for life safety. It is important to remember that fire alarm systems have become more of a life safety system as they are monitoring gas detection, elevator integration, mass notification, etc.”
What are the major fire safety solution requirements in smart buildings?
The term “smart buildings” means different things to different people. Rodger Reiswig, Fellow and VP of Industrial Relations at Johnson Controls, explained that for some, it’s all about the Green Initiative. Is the building able to sustain itself or reduce its carbon footprint? Can they reuse some of their water or generate electricity from onsite solar cells or wind turbines?
Another definition of “smart buildings” is based on sensors,” Reiswig continued. “Is the building smart enough to know that, if I’m the first person there in the morning and I swipe my card, it should switch the HVAC system into occupied mode? Can it start to turn the lights on? Can it adjust the window shades to allow the sun to come in? Can it call the elevator down for me because it knows that I’m in the lobby, and I’m going to the tenth floor? It’s all about how the systems integrate with one another, not simply providing information to each other, but also interacting with one another, causing things to happen from one system to another.
Where does the smartness factor into fire safety?
IP-based fire alarm systems are emerging as the way forward. Networked on digital infrastructure, addressable systems of panels and detectors provide fire detection at an early stage, plus exact localization of the fire source. They integrate with other vital systems such as sprinklers, video surveillance, and access control. They can be combined with voice evacuation to direct people out of dangerous areas as quickly and precisely as possible. “Most of all, IP-based fire alarm systems are easily scalable and adjustable to changing customer demands, for instance, in mixed-use buildings,” said Andreas Kahl, Head of Software Engineering and Fire Alarm Systems at Bosch Building Technologies. “For maximum reliability, IP-based systems support fully redundant networking via an IP and/or CAN connection between the panels, thus keeping the system operational in the event of an error. As a common operational backbone, IP-based fire alarm systems integrate within building management systems architecture such as the Bosch-developed Building Integration System (BIS) or a third-party solution to provide operators with a single view and real-time intelligence.” For centralized building management, the fire system in a smart building needs to interface with other systems such as video surveillance, access control, and voice address for evacuation, Kahl added. The combination of fire alarm and voice evacuation systems has emerged as the status quo over the past few years across a wide range of sites, from hotels to shopping centers and airports. Legislation, such as 2013’s full enactment of the Construction Products Regulation, has been a significant driver of this trend, placing high demands on both systems with the EN54 product standard. Studies have demonstrated that voice alarm with clear instructions significantly improves fire evacuation time compared to mere noise alarms and presents a significant time gain of up to 30 percent for emergency response teams.
How popular is smart building fire safety now?
Reiswig said that his company has already been doing integration with things like HVAC and lighting for a few years now. Now they see tighter integration where, for example, they can use the position of the sun to get the best impact of sunlight to start to heat the building in the winter. “One of the biggest challenges that we see in the smart building environment is protocols or topologies for how one system talks to another,” Reiswig added. “The fire alarm system uses a certain protocol or language. The HVAC system uses another protocol or language. Creating an environment where systems can talk to one another and not just send, but also receive information – that is the difficult part. Everybody can send information out. It’s easy for me to tell you what is happening in a system. But for you to tell me what is happening in your system and then expect me to do something with that information, that’s when it gets a little bit harder.”
How should building operators prepare for the future?
Before investing in new fire safety systems, building operators are well-advised to consider the futureproofing of their systems. Again, IT-based architectures emerge as the only way forward. “Current legislature such as the 2015 edition of the International Fire Code already mandates addressable systems in which connected devices can signal their device type, location, and alert status; which is a built-in feature for IP-based networks,” Kahl said. “And on the subject of future-proofing, IT-based fire security systems can also seamlessly integrate the next generation of video-based fire detection devices that rely on machine learning algorithms to detect fire and smoke in less than 30 seconds. ”At the same time, operators may want to integrate and customize their solutions into their Building Management Systems, which can be facilitated via software development kits (SDKs) such as the Bosch Fire System Interface (FSI) or open IT standards like OPC. Next to this level of future-proof integration, IP-based solutions scale up easily to accommodate for expansions within the same building or multi-building installations to allow customers to grow their fire safety applications alongside their business.
The bottom line
Smart Building is all about connectivity, to let the building “talk,” according to Thomas Dols, Global Software Product Manager at Siemens Smart Infrastructure. We live in a digital age full of continuous information where performance is constantly improved with the help of data and interactions with smart interfaces enable us to make intelligent decisions. Our Cloud offering allows this interaction to take place and performance to improve. This drive for constant optimization lies at the heart of smart buildings whose very purpose is to enhance the user experience. The requirements when selecting a fire safety equipment is, therefore, to have a connected software product offering within the portfolio.
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