Advanced’s Digital Product Manager, Michael Dunbar, unveils the evolution of remote fire panel monitoring

Smart buildings are on the rise and with them comes increasingly sophisticated remote monitoring technology – with the fire safety industry being the latest to see new developments.

 According to Jupiter Research, the number of smart buildings globally is expected to rise from 45 million in 2022 to 115 million in 2026.

 This is welcome news for facilities managers (FMs) and fire alarm engineers who recognise the benefits and efficiencies remote monitoring can bring, including improved safety and time savings.

Efficiency

In recent years the IoT (Internet of Things) has enabled the collection of digital data from physical assets and processes, resulting in greater efficiency.

 Remote monitoring has significantly advanced the capabilities and efficiencies of FMs with the expansion of internet-connected devices making it possible to remotely communicate, collect and analyse data without being on site.

Following extensive customer research, remote fire panel monitoring platforms such as AdvancedLive have been designed specifically to meet the needs of FMs by combining fire system monitoring, instant notifications, and remote fire system control in one software.

 These subscription-based platforms allow users to both view and control elements of their fire system from any internet-enabled device, at any location.

 They also provide users with day-to-day reassurance that their fire system is working as intended, with instant notifications to alert them of critical incidents and status changes, and secure access methods to keep their data safe.

Information from their fire system is stored in the Cloud and presented in software accessed via any internet-enabled device.

 The software is simply connected to the fire panel using an internet connection and a BMS interface.

Accessibility

Critical to the design of these platforms was ensuring that FMs could use the software easily.

 Although modern fire panels are often simple to install and configure, research uncovered that FMs, other Responsible Persons and first responders do not find fire panels as easy to use as engineers, especially when a stressful incident is under way.

As a result, AdvancedLive was designed to be intuitive and simple to use.

 A huge benefit is the option to access the fire panel via the software by using familiar tools, such as a mobile phone, PC or tablet, removing the need to use the panel to control the system.

Fire system monitoring

The role of the FM has increased exponentially as buildings have become more sophisticated.

 Remote monitoring is therefore vital to provide the efficiencies required to monitor fire safety systems quickly and easily whenever a user needs to – even when they are off-site.

 Designed with users in mind, AdvancedLive’s intuitive dashboard offers a host of features, showing device status and duration of isolations and enablements with clear colour coding for easy identification of Fire, Fault, Isolation and Ok.

Monitoring can be viewed either by a map or list to suit a company’s needs and budget and ensures accessibility for all users regardless of the device they are using.

 Larger sites may benefit from a floor plan option, with a full-screen, colour-coded map for easy identification of zones, panels, device location and status.

It is easy to navigate the floor plans with pinch-to-zoom and to plot new and unmapped devices by simply dragging them to the required positions.

 A clear view of first and second-stage investigation countdown maximises available response time, where set up on a fire system.

 It is also easy navigate different floors for quick identification of the areas needing attention.

Instant notifications

During fire incidents, information is vital.

 Instant notifications mean that the FM or other Responsible Person are the first to know of an incident.

 Users miss nothing with status-change alerts sent during incidents to quickly show first and subsequent detections, investigation delay start and end points as well as reset actions.

Remote monitoring platforms can be accessed from any internet-enabled device, anywhere in the world, giving users reassurance that they will be the first to know about any problems, no matter where they are.

Remote control

Remote fire system control offers significant time savings, allowing users to make changes on the software without needing to be at the panel.

 It is possible to remotely acknowledge and extend the fire alarm investigation period (where set up on your fire system), and users can avoid unwanted alarms by remotely isolating devices before resetting the system at the panel.

Crucially, users can only control a fire panel if they have permission to do so.

 With data security more important than ever, the latest software gives admins complete control over who can access their system.

 Flexible login methods to offer fast, secure access without the need to remember yet another password but also an automatic link timeout for added security.

 Actions taken by individuals are stored in a comprehensive log, allowing traceability and compliance.

Fire alarm engineer

Remote monitoring platforms also benefit engineers.

 Traditionally, if an engineer wanted to gain knowledge of how a fire system has been operating, they could only access the limited information stored in the event log.

 With the latest remote monitoring technology, all the data is hosted in the Cloud.

 This gives engineers the benefit of a real-time view of a fire system, as well as access to historical views of data.

 This insight can then be used to predict potential issues, improving both fire safety and system efficiency.

It is possible to view a panel’s complete device history, including when the device was last activated, isolated, tested and enabled, allowing engineers to troubleshoot the problem remotely or diagnose issues in advance to save time if a site visit is required.

 It is also possible to identify trends and potential issues, enabling better service and maintenance planning, and allowing preventive action before issues escalate.

Future

As remote fire system monitoring develops, there is huge scope for both FMs and engineers to benefit.

 Not only will data be increasingly used in reports for compliance but also for intelligence and predictions.

Although the initial market for these platforms has been large complex sites, smaller businesses will also benefit in the long-term.

 This will be useful where a business owner is also in charge of the facilities management and is not able to always be on site.

Time, efficiency, reduced false alarms and improved safety are just some of the benefits remote fire panel monitoring offers.

As we move towards a rise in smart technology this is only the start of the digital transformation of fire safety systems in our buildings.

To find out more about AdvancedLive, go to www.advancedco.com