How will artificial intelligence change the firefighting landscape?

AI-powered systems are being incorporated into all parts of society, firefighting is no exception. In this article, the Fire Middle East Conference team explores how AI systems are making an impact on fire hazard detection, fire response management and the general health and response of firefighters when they arrive on a scene.

Artificial Intelligence learns from fire scenarios past and present and understands the environments and causes that lead to different types of fires. AI systems, sensors and cameras can react to environments as they match up to the stored data of these past fire scenarios, flagging emergency teams and local establishments when a fire is about to take place. Buildings are evacuated early, and fire teams can move in quickly.

AI-based systems can also provide real-time responses on the status of an incident, the direction a fire is likely to spread, or spreading. The availability of team members and evacuation routes. The real-time data enables authorities to make informed decisions as a situation is evolving.

Through this real-time analytics, firefighters can be kept more secure from pockets of flammable gas, toxic gas and are kept safe during difficult weather conditions and other potentially harmful factors.

Artificial Intelligence is continuing to evolve, with new iterations of various technologies being implemented into common technologies on a daily basis. This interconnectivity between the digital and the physical is what defines a smart city, and is what is allowing firefighters to become ever more empowered as these situations develop.