IMPLEMENTATION OF AN AUTOMATIC FIRE DETECTION AND ALARM SYSTEM

IMPLEMENTATION OF AN AUTOMATIC FIRE DETECTION AND ALARM SYSTEM

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

 1.1 Background of the study

The Voice prompt fire detector and extinguisher are considered better alternatives to traditional audible alarms because a voice is typically less likely to instill panic, and the voice feature can be used to give specific instructions, for specific situations. They not only let everyone when an emergency arises but they also inform the people of certain measures to take to avoid confusion and thereafter saving them valuable time necessary for protection of life and properties.

Furthermore, the Voice prompt fire detector and extinguisher can be programmed to give voice alerts in diverse languages or dialects according to where it is being installed around the world. It clears the problems of families or communities who do not understand a particular global language or dialect. This thereby increases the number of lives saved since there are no excuses on the ground of not understanding a particular language. In addition, the Voice prompt fire detector and extinguisher limits the spread of fire through the means of the water sprinkler system which removes the heat content of the fire (cooling effect) thereby extinguishing the fire.

Reports on the issue of recorded deaths due to fire hazards and gas explosions have increased tremendously. According to the U. S. Fire Administration website, a reliable resource for credible information; “Each year more than 2,500 people die and 12,600 are injured in home fires in the United States, with direct property loss due to home fires estimated at $7.3 billion annually”[1]. If this number of deaths and casualties are recorded in a highly developed nation with several means of controlling fire incidents already in place such as the US, it is therefore acceptable to conclude that a developing nation such as Nigeria would suffer even more casualties and deaths due to the incessant fire outbreaks and gas explosions experienced yearly for instance, the Ariari market fire in Aba.

One major method of combating the catastrophic effects of a fire outbreak which leads to loss of life and property is its early detection and the occupants’ evacuation of people at the scene of the incident. Many companies with the hope of bridging the gap in the number of deaths and loss of properties caused by fire have developed the smoke alarms, gas sensors and detectors, even the most recent GSM Based SMS Alert Fire Alarm Systems.  However these new technologies have their limitations in successfully detecting smoke or gas and triggering alarms (horns or, bells) instantaneously for a timely evacuation. 

Project Outline

The chapters in this project work are outlined briefly and their contents summarized thus;

Chapter One, which is an introduction to the project, gives the project background of study, statement of problem, aims and objectives, and the scope of the project.

Chapter Two, which is the literature review, gives an evaluation of previous related works of the project.

Chapter Three deals with the methodology where the methods or techniques used in the actualization of the project will be discussed.

In chapter Four, the system analysis and designs are exclusively dealt with.

Chapter Five focuses on the system implementation and evaluation.

Finally, chapter six is a summary and conclusion of the project with outlined recommendations.