The “Internet of Things”, [IOT] a focus on the fire industry.

A clear consensus that IoT will play a key role in the future of fire

The Fire Industry Association (FIA) has launched a Special interest Group (SIG) on the Internet of Things and its use in the fire industry, after publishing a report on how the technology is viewed and being utilised in the sector.

The FIA says it wants to “start a shared, productive and necessary dialogue around IoT in the fire industry”, with estimates that 87% of businesses might be working with IoT in some capacity in the future. The report covers a definition of IoT, its current use and future importance in the fire industry, why organisations are using it and the barriers professionals face in adoption.

Ian Moore, CEO of the Fire Industry Association, commented on the importance of the subject for fire safety professionals in the foreword of the report: “The Internet of Things promises to transform the fire industry and many other industries. With over 20 billion devices connected to the internet in 2020 our members have made it immediately clear the Internet of Things (IoT) and how it relates to the fire industry is of the upmost importance for us all to understand.”

Alongside the report, the Association has launched an Internet of Things Special Interest Group, which will be designed to explore several facets, including:

• Agreement on the aspects of IoT the fire industry will need to address
• Assessing the specific barriers businesses need support on
• Formulating appropriate solutions to alleviate barriers
• Deciding which key stakeholders to engage with
• Collaborating in shared dialogue with stakeholders.