Ealing Council and FireAngel announce detail behind “pioneering” IoT partnership

The “pioneering” contract will see the supply of FireAngel’s advanced connected technology, FireAngel Spec Connected, which will cost-effectively provide Ealing Council with a remote monitoring solution that ensures maximum levels of fire and CO detection for tenants.

Ealing Council will oversee the supply and installation of over 122,000 smoke, heat and CO alarms across an initial 14,000 out of 17,000 properties located throughout West London, while also benefiting from FireAngel’s patented Predict technology, which will highlight trends and high-risk patterns of behaviour to prompt earlier intervention before an actual fire event.

The new agreement will “revolutionise” the way in which Ealing Council monitors and manages its entire housing stock, eliminating the requirements for gaining physical access to properties as all of the required device data is transmitted wirelessly in real-time via a secure cloud network.

Upgrading protection levels

Historically, Ealing Council has specified an LD3 Category mains-powered system, This will be replaced with FireAngel’s Specification Range, upgrading the level of protection provided throughout each property to an LD1 Category specification in accordance with BS 5839-6.

As part of Ealing Council’s continuous commitment to reviewing and improving the levels of protection it provides for tenants, while also acting in line with the release of the draft Building Safety Bill, councillors reviewed the fire safety policy to ensure fire safety equity for all tenants. 

After an initial trial period, FireAngel’s Specification Range was chosen due to its remote monitoring capabilities and compliance with an LD1 Category specification, which subsequently future-proofs all properties against any regulatory changes in the years ahead.

Transparent and continuous monitoring

Paul Cook, interim Health and Safety manager at Ealing Council, explained: “After an initial review of Ealing Council’s fire safety policy, it was clear that a fire safety system providing transparent and continuous monitoring of each alarm in every property would enable an increase in the level of protection provided, while simultaneously streamlining maintenance processes to quickly identify any potential risks.”

Cook continued: “Connected technology is an area that will continue to evolve and improve and we’re confident that, by partnering with FireAngel, we will be providing our tenants with the highest standards in fire protection. We’re making a real step change in how we protect our tenants and are one of the first social housing providers in the UK to adopt IoT technologies.”

FireAngel’s battery-powered Specification Range smoke, heat and CO alarms, supported by a FireAngel Connected Gateway, will be installed in each of the initial 14,000 properties, with the alarms exclusively supplied by CEF through the Procurement for Housing framework.

FireAngel and Ealing Council have together developed a bespoke recyclable cardboard ‘kit pack’ that contains no plastic waste, significantly reducing the amount of packaging materials the installer needs to dispose of during the installation process. The packs contain FireAngel’s battery-powered Specification Range of smoke, heat and CO alarms, which (as stated) will be installed across Ealing Council’s housing stock in line with an LD1 Category specification.

Secure private network

As the alarms are wirelessly interlinked across a secure private network, the technology will allow Ealing Council to easily monitor and manage the status of the alarms in real-time. FireAngel’s Predict technology will also enable Cook and his team to remotely understand the trends and levels of risk each property presents and as tenant needs change.

Ealing Council and FireAngel have also streamlined the installation process through the development of an innovative commissioning system which includes photographic records, auditing facilities and the automatic production of certifications.

James King, director of trade for FireAngel, said: “We’re extremely proud to be supporting Ealing Council in one of the biggest IoT roll-outs of its type currently available in the UK. Over the last seven years, FireAngel has spent in excess of £8 million on its IoT strategy to deliver connected fire safety technologies that enhance asset management for housing providers. We’re looking forward to working closely with Ealing Council throughout the installation and implementation stages to provide its tenants with enhanced quality of service and support with regard to fire safety.”

FireAngel’s Specification Range enables continuous monitoring of fire and CO safety devices within properties via a central, secure cloud-based system. Featuring Smart RF technology, the range of mains and battery-powered alarms supports the interlink of up to 50 devices together on a wireless network by fitting a Smart RF module.

The devices include smoke, heat, CO alarms and assisted living solutions, which can be interlinked via a private network such that, when one alarm sounds, they all sound. This also immediately notifies tenants of a potential fire or CO event, providing a faster response time that allows individuals to safely and quickly exit the property.