A new cladding fire detection sensor that alerts residents via an app is being tested by the Fire Protection Association.
The sensor can be retrofitted to integrate into the cladding system of high-risk buildings, can provide a smarter, faster and more cost-efficient method of monitoring fire safety when compared to waking watches, the developers claim.
Each sensor is connected to a control system that, in the event of a fire, sends an alert to all residents via a smartphone app.
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This gives residents and the fire service valuable information on the location and relative spread of fire across the building throughout the incident in real time.
The system is currently undergoing final testing at the Fire Protection Association’s headquarters in Moreton-in-Marsh after three years and around £500,000 of research and development investment.
Under the Intelliclad name, the developers are Darron Brough, the founder and MD of architectural metalwork fabricator Metalline, and Mohammed Zulfiquar, who as owner and founder of Datatecnics Corporation has 30 years’ experience in computer science and nanotechnology.
Brough said: “We started this Intelliclad journey because we wanted to put our expertise to good use to try to help those who are suffering with mental health issues, crippling bills and concerns for their safety as a result of living in an unsafe building.
“Our system offers a smarter and faster alternative to waking watches – we want to give residents a greater peace of mind and greatly reduce the cost of safety, which they should be entitled to.
“From our perspective, testing with the Fire Protection Association has been a huge success and we await confirmation of these results over the coming weeks as data is analysed, which we believe will allow us to move forward and start to really help people.”
