IoT Can Help Save Lives

The fire at Grenfell Tower in London last summer resulted in scores of deaths and shocked us all. It made many of us wonder why, even with all the progress made in terms of technology and regulations, such large-scale incidents continue to occur.

While investigation is still under way to determine the exact cause of the incident and the reason why the fire spread so quickly, early reports highlighted some of the major issues.

Media reports suggest that the Grenfell Tower did not have a functioning central fire alarm system. Furthermore, not all smoke alarms in individual flats worked properly. Most residents claimed that they were alerted about the fire only when they heard people screaming for help or knocking on their doors. Experts expect that the building’s new exterior clad-ding will be determined to be the main factor that caused the fire to spread so rapidly. Based on established policy, the first responders instructed residents to “stay put” unless their own flats are on fire. This policy, frequently used in compartmentalized, high-rise buildings such as this, assumes that most fires in these buildings can be contained within the flat for at least 60 minutes, before the fire fighters arrive. The policy, and the subsequent delay in changing the instructions when it became apparent that the fire was spreading faster than firefighters could contain it, appears to be the major cause for the high casualty count.

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Keywords: Internet of Things (IoT), Grenfell Tower, Smart Detectors, Fire Detection, Mass Notification System, Fire Alarm Panel, Safety, ARC Advisory Group.