Sharjah plans safer buildings with AI to stop fires before they start
Sharjah is striving to deploy advanced technologies in building systems to mitigate the risk of fire calamities and accidents within the emirate. Artificial Intelligence (AI), in particular, will play a critical role in increasing the protective features of structures against such dangers.
Local and global educators, governmental and non-governmental organizations, as well as the American University of Sharjah affiliated with the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Systems research project aimed at developing systems to prevent AI-related incidents.
According to Sharjah Civil Defense Authority, the findings of this research will be used to integrate modernization of constructions throughout the emirate. As part of this cooperation, the University’s College of Engineering together with the civil defence authority organized a fire safety symposium that lasted for two days.
The Protection & Safety Department head, Lieutenant Colonel Dr Hamad Abdul Karim Al Mazmi emphasizes the importance of this symposium. He believes that the project will come to fruition by the end of the year, but that the symposium will mark the beginning of the steps needed to reach this outcome. He mentioned it is possible that emerging technologies will be integrated into buildings within the next year.
The manner that Sharjah intends to use these technologies was not made clear. A fire chief from San Bernardino, California said that his department uses AI in drones that serve as “first responders” as well as in other supporting and decision-making roles.
At the symposium, he shared his thoughts saying that AI can work to mitigate fires by predicting where the next natural disaster will take place.
Fire safety in particular and topics such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and engineering were addressed during the discussions at the symposium. The American University of Sharjah’s Dr. Rami Hawileh pointed out that fires are often a tertiary event during natural calamities like earthquakes, but certainly have a greater impact.
Hawileh noted that the university introduced a minor program in safety and fire protection last year to help minimize risks associated with fire, which he termed a “great concern.”
He did, however, add that “in the end, every single person is responsible in the event of a fire,” and that the purpose of these discussions and workshops is to give information to the general population.
These talks and workshops targeted fire safety issues with the collaboration of local and international researchers, governmental bodies, and private corporations. “The university is bringing speakers from all over the world and the audience is also coming from different places. We might be receiving more than 150 delegates,” he noted.
The emirate’s municipality has taken measures to address fire safety in residential and commercial buildings.
This year, Sharjah proclaimed a project worth Dh100 million to upgrade the facades of structures by installing fireproof materials. These alterations have so far been implemented on five structures out of an intended forty.
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