Novel Approach to Reduce Rate of False Fire Alarms Through Multivariate Characterization of Fire

Abstract

Fire in residential or office premises can be a serious threat to life and property. There are many existing technologies for detecting fire and thereby raising alarms to alert the residents and appropriate authorities to take the required action. But, a false alarm is a major issue in these technologies. It can cause unwanted panic injuries and even stampede during the evacuation. With public budget cuts, some fire services have seen themselves forced to redefine response procedures. The new measures may not necessarily be in the best interest of society. E.g., Fire departments of certain countries prefer eye witness verification of fire before alerting the authorities. Delay in alerting fire extinguishing services might cost life and could lead to extensive damage to property. This motivated the authors to develop an approach to reduce the percentage of false alarms. The main focus of this study is to detect fire effectively and reduce the rate of false alarms by parameter-based distinction of any type of combustion occurring in a room.