With an ageing population - 1 in 4 people in the UK will be aged 65 or over by 2037 - there is a growing need for better fire safety solutions, to ensure people can continue to live independently and to age safely in place.
Research has shown that elderly and vulnerable residents are the groups most at risk from serious injury or death from domestic fires, whilst a recent briefing paper by The Building Research Establishment has highlighted the need for more sophisticated protection measures.
Vulnerable adults who live alone will normally need more time to perceive and escape a fire. Some also pose a higher risk because of memory deficits or unhelpful behaviour patterns such as hoarding. As a result, people still die in fires in buildings that are well maintained, have working smoke detection, comply with building regulations and are reached promptly by the fire service.
Person-centred fire risk assessments can be used to identify occupants at higher risk, and to gain an understanding of their risk profile, so appropriate measures can be put in place. You can find out more about person-centred fire risk assessments in our prodcast, Fire safety: it's not just about the building.
Automist was initially developed, to offer better protection specifically for these types of people: raising the alarm and operating at the earliest opportunity and helping to maximise survivable conditions in the room of fire origin, Automist gives residents more time to escape or be rescued. It is suitable for installation in individual homes (privately owned or rented), care homes and extra care settings, social and sheltered housing.