Al Ain considers new fire detection network

Al Ain Civil Defence is studying a system that would automatically notify officials of fires and other safety threats in buildings across town.

AL AIN // Civil Defence authorities are looking at ways of linking fire detection systems in buildings to its command control centre to improve emergency response times.

Video:Fatal fire kills mother and son in Al AIn

Husam Mohammed, a Jordanian neighbour of the Shaheen family, was witness to the tragic house fire in which a young mother and her son were killed.

In the first six months of this year, Civil Defence in Al Ain responded to 146 incidents, of which 71 were residential fires and four commercial.

The detection technology is known as the 24x7 Direct Alarm System, which officials in Dubai introduced in 2009 after legislation required it be installed in all buildings. Engineers have said they will meet that goal in another two years. The system in Dubai links buildings and the control centre by satellite.

Using remote communication technology such as GPS, the system monitors the building 24 hours a day, and continuously exchanges data about the building's emergency status. In the event of fire or breakdown of lifts or pumps, an alarm signal is sent to the control centre. A signal is also sent if any safety system is out of order.

A large screen in the monitoring room, coupled with individual operating work stations at Dubai Civil Defence, displays the building location, the problem, the evacuation plan, different routes to approach the building, contact details and the nearest fire station.