Early and ultra-early fire detection through video surveillance

Waste pollution, recycling, and disposal are huge problems today worldwide. But the negative impact is exerted not only by the formation and storage of garbage but also by a possible fire at recycling facilities. In this article, we will talk about organizing early detection of fires through video surveillance.

Specificity of the waste processing business

The unequal character of waste, which is formed due to the insufficient development of the separate waste collection, often leads to the occurrence of fires at the stage of storage and processing.

The main sources of fire: batteries, accumulators, fuel, fertilizers, cylinders with various aerosols (paint, hair sprays, etc.).

Common causes of fires and risk factors

Waste is hazardous due to its flammability, reactivity, and toxicity. One spark, the temperature rises, and a flame breaks out.

In addition to this, we can distinguish other causes of fires:

  • lack of technology for monitoring fire in the early stages. If a fire is detected, it is necessary to react immediately, but because there is no system, people begin to fight with the flame already at an advanced stage;
  • use of sprinkler extinguishing method. The power of the system is often not enough to deal with the fire that appears;
  • use of obsolete smoke and fire detectors that react too slowly.

Technical solutions for combating fires

The primary condition for a technical solution to the problem is that the system must be stationary, activated within a few seconds after a fire is detected.

Primary requirements:

  • determine not only the ignition itself but potential fires;
  • eliminate false positives;
  • minimize response time.

Let’s consider the critical criteria you need to pay attention to when choosing equipment.

Criteria of choice 

Before purchasing and installing video surveillance for fires and response systems, you need to consider potential risks and develop a monitoring project. You can find out why you need it in the article: “Video surveillance project design. Everything you need to know“.

Risks: type of waste in the facility, by-products, and final processing products, all possible causes of a fire. 

The data obtained from the analysis will help understand the equipment requirements to choose for collecting an early and super-early response system.

Recommended hardware

It is possible to single out one more requirement for super-early response systems – the minimum financial costs for the organization. To do this, you should use modern technologies and video analytics capabilities.

  • The system is capable of:
  • analyzing what is happening and noticing not only an increase in temperature around the site of a potential fire but also the negligence of the facility personnel;
  • capturing faces and license plates of intruders and arsonists;
  • noticing the appearance of fire;
  • sending alert notifications when a potential fire is detected.

The whole system works on the principle of remote control, so there is no need to be near the equipment 24/7. And the special protected housing of the CCTV camera for fires in extreme conditions protects the object from sparks emanating from the inside of the device itself.

The visual part of the fire protection system has already shown its effectiveness. It simplifies and speeds up the fight against fire even before the stage of active combustion.

A video surveillance system from the Faceter cloud service meets such technological capabilities. Faceter is an intuitive, intelligent monitoring solution that transforms an ordinary IP camera into an AI-powered device.

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Conclusion

Ignitions at waste processing facilities are a global problem for humanity and the environment. After all, it is not the fire itself that is more dangerous, but the spread of corrosive gases.

Using innovative hybrid solutions can help you react to potential fire spots early. This will keep our world safe.

Александр Вебер

Alexander Weber

Specialist in video surveillance, video analytics, cloud storage systems. Consultant on the integration of video surveillance systems and tools in various business sectors. Over 10 years of industry experience.

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