22 Jul New mobile app launches in UAE for early detection and prevention of fire
Authorities in the UAE have launched a new phone app, called ‘Hassantuk for Homes’, to help with early fire detection and prevention.
The app is a smart fire alarm app launched by the Ministry of Interior in collaboration with Etisalat for early fire detection and prevention. The intelligent command and control solution was first launched in 2018 to monitor and detect fire and smoke alarms in commercial buildings and residential apartments, but now for the first time ever it can be controlled by a mobile phone app.
The General Command of Civil Defense at the MoI and UAE telecommunications Company-Etisalat have collaborated to launch the mobile application which provides all services related to, subscribing to and managing the Hassantuk system for homes.
Last year, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) reported figures that fire-related deaths in buildings and facilities across the UAE dropped by 62 percent between January 1 and June 30, 2021. The data released by the MoI’s General Command of Civil Defence also showed that the number of fires in buildings and other facilities has decreased by 46 percent during the first half of 2021, compared to the same period over the past three years.
The decline in fire incidents and deaths was attributed to the increase in fire safety and prevention awareness among residents and the installation of smart fire alarm systems – known as ‘Hassantuk’ – in homes and buildings across UAE.
At the end of 2021, ‘Hassantuk’ had been installed in more than 26,000 homes, including 10,800 for underprivileged families, in the UAE over the past three years.
Major-General Jassim Muhammad Al Marzouqi, Commander-in-Chief of Civil Defence, MoI, said the average response time and access to fire sites is currently 6.07 minutes, which has effectively contributed to rapid fire detection and preventing fatalities and building destruction.
Al Marzouqi said: “The adoption of innovative and advanced fire alarm and protection systems such as ‘Hassantuk’ has contributed to reducing the number of fires and deaths in the country. The Civil Defence is keen on consolidating the concept of fire prevention and safety among members of society.”
The UAE authorities had secured homes and other facilities by installing ‘Hassantuk’ alongside wireless detectors for heat, fire smoke, gas and carbon monoxide. Other measures for fire prevention include internal and external sound alarm devices and other necessary technical equipment that ensure connecting homes with the MoI’s smart mechanism.