Fire is one of the most powerful forces of nature.

Nowadays it is the leading hazard affecting

everyday life around the world. The sooner the fire is detected, the better the chances are for
survival.
Today’s fire alarm systems, such as smoke and heat sensors, however still pose many problems.
They are generally limited to indoors; require a close proximity to the fire; and most of them
cannot provide additional information about fire circumstances. In order to provide faster, more
complete and more reliable information, there have been a couple of new innovations in the fire
protection/firefighting field.
One of these innovations is Video Fire Detection (VFD) which is becoming more and more
interesting.
Current research (Verstockt et al., 2009) shows that video-based fire detection promises fast
detection and can be a viable alternative for the more traditional techniques. Especially in large
and open spaces, such as shopping malls, parking lots, and airports, video fire detection can
make the difference. The reason for this expected success is that the majority of detection
systems that are used in these places today suffer with a lot of problems which VFD do not have,
e.g., a transport- and threshold delay. A flame detector can often respond faster and more
accurately than a smoke or heat detector due to the mechanisms it uses to detect the flame, this is
because as soon as smoke or flames occur in one of the camera views, fire can be detected.
However, due to the variability of shape, motion, transparency, colors, and patterns of smoke and
flames, existing approaches are still vulnerable to false alarms. On the other hand, video-based
fire alarm systems mostly only detect the presence of fire.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Another one of the innovations is the air sampling smoke detectors, it is an exceptional fire
prevention technology. An active detection technology, they work to provide the earliest possible
warning of a potential fire hazard. Air sampling smoke detectors are very useful in detecting fires
before they spread, helping to suppress a fire before it even gets started.
Unlike a traditional smoke detector that passively detects smoke as it begins to fill the air in the
detector’s general vicinity, an air sampling smoke detector actively draws in air through air
sampling ports, piping, or tubing. The detector then analyzes the air for smoke. These detectors
can pull air in from a number of locations in a building depending on the complexity of the
detectors sampling ports and piping. In this way, air sampling smoke detectors are a fire
prevention technology that actively work to look for signs of smoke or fire and prevent fires in
very early stages of combustion.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Self-Expanding Fire Fighting Foam
Self-expanding firefighting foam is a newer fire prevention technology created by Jacu du
Plessis of Protect-O-Burn North America, LLC. It is starting to gain a presence in the market,
especially as fluorine-free foam options are becoming more readily available. It features many of
the same benefits of typical firefighting foam, with a few key advantages such as:
Deploy Anywhere: Self-expanding foam (SEF) is stored under pressure and deployed anywhere
it’s needed, without the need for supplemental water supplies, foam proportioning equipment, or
foam concentrates. SEF is mixed on location and only requires as much potable water as is
necessary to meet the volume capacity as the foam storage tank. Once SEF is mixed and the tank
is installed, no permanent water supply is needed. This means you can place the vessel wherever
is most suitable and deploy from there with no additional tools or supplies.
Long Shelf Life & Operation in Even Extreme Temperatures: SEF is typically guaranteed
for a minimum of 10 years. This could vary by manufacturer, but generally the fire prevention
technology is a long-lasting solution you can count on. This benefit is improved by the fact that
SEF is not affected by extreme temperatures. It operates as flawlessly in direct sunlight and hot
desert conditions as it does in sub-zero temperatures.
Exceptional Fire Performance at A Convenient Cost: SEF operates entirely on stored energy.
It does not require fire water infrastructure, additional pressure, or gas cylinders to help with
actuation, making the system a low cost, low maintenance option. What’s more, it provides
exceptional performance. In a fire test where a 40-foot diameter tank with diesel fuel was ignited
and left to burn for 90 seconds, SEF was able to control the fire in 15 seconds, and extinguish at
25 seconds. When a comparison test was run, a traditional fire system extinguished the same fire
in a bit more than 10 minutes.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The operation of the whole system is extremely simple. All that is required is to open the
isolation valve between the pressurized SEF storage vessel and the foam application device.
The simplicity eliminates the need for specialists to operate the system successfully.
References
 https://vanguard-fire.com/3-innovative-fire-prevention-technologies/
 https://www.envirotech-online.com/news/health-and-safety/10/draeger/visual-flame-
detector/22705
 https://www.researchgate.net/figure/The-main-components-of-fire-detection-via-video-
camera-Slika-4-Glavne-komponente_fig2_287350663
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flame_detector
 https://vdocuments.us/hot-topics-in-video-fire-surveillance-cdn-video-surveillance-444-
characteristics.html
 https://www.orrprotection.com/detection/air-sampling
 https://elva.com.tr/en/air-sampling-smoke-detection-systems/
 http://foamfatale.com/storage-tank-fire-extinguishing/