Mobotix thermal imaging cameras have been installed in 3 multi-storey blocks across the city to continually monitor temperatures in the buildings’ bin chute rooms. The thermal cameras will send an alarm to Openview’s central control centre and the fire service immediately if an unexpected heat pattern is detected.

The early detection system provided by the Openview now means that residents can be reassured of much faster response times from the fire service in the event of an incident, minimising the potential impact on occupants and their properties, so that they and their homes are far safer as a result.

The project presented various risks and challenges that needed to be taken into account, such as, ensuring safety of residents through early detection and prevention of potential fires; to be able to react quickly to verify a fire situation and to alerting the fire service within seconds of a potential fire so they can respond rapidly.  The system needs to keeping residents safe and minimise damage to property in the event of a fire, and the risk to lives and property caused by rapid spread of a fire in high-density apartment blocks also needed to be considered.

Mobotix and Openview provided a solution using Mobotix M16 thermal cameras installed in bin chute rooms of 3 YHN multi-storey blocks.  The thermal technology cameras continuously monitor temperature, triggering an alarm if an unexpected heat pattern is detected.  Operators in Openview’s central control room assess and monitor the situation and the fire service can be instantly alerted ready for rapid response.

Mobotix cameras were integrated into the existing infrastructure with no disruption to the residents during the process and the potential risk to lives and property has been minimised through early fire detection.

With fire safety in tower blocks having been in the spotlight since the Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017, YHN took the decision to pilot this innovative fire detection system. In a trial partnership with Openview Security Solutions, the UK’s largest privately-owned independent security company and a national supplier of fire, electrical and mechanical services to the public and private housing sectors, YHN has installed thermal imaging cameras in 3 of its 45 multi-storey blocks across the city.

“The tragic events at Grenfell Tower have undoubtedly put fire safety in multi-storey blocks under a microscope, but we have been trialling new measures in our multi-storey properties for some time,” says David Langhorne, YHN’s Assets and Development Director.

The early detection system provided by the Openview now means that residents can be reassured of much faster response times from the fire service in the event of an incident, minimising the potential impact on occupants and their properties, ensuring that they and their homes are far safer as a result.

“This trial system is one of many fire safety measures currently in place in the blocks we manage across the city. We also have wet and dry risers, central alarm systems, smoke alarm activated bin chute fire dampers and bin room sprinklers,” Langhorne explains.

“We pride ourselves on being innovative, so it was an easy decision for us to test something that had not yet been adopted elsewhere,” he adds.

Frank Graham, Mobotix Regional Sales Manager UK & Benelux, said of the partnership with YHN and Openview: “We are very happy to be working so closely with both YHN and Openview in the development and provision of an innovative solution for such a serious issue. Mobotix cameras have inbuilt intelligence to meet all the requirements of integrator and end-users alike and we look forward to a longstanding and fruitful partnership with both organisations moving forward.”