Fire Alarm
Several flight incidents in India have experienced false fire alarm due to certain food products such as meat, mangoes and curry powder. The exact mechanism as to how these foods generate heat for smoke detectors be activated is not clear. Suffice it to know that curry powder, for example, is a spice containing its inherent hot flavor.
The spicy particles that escaped from a bag of curry powder triggered the smoke and fire alarms to set off which then activated the fire extinguishers. This prompted the pilot to return to Mumbai instead of heading straight to Frankfurt, Germany last Friday morning.
A fire alarm system is a device that detects unwanted presence of fire through monitoring changes in the surrounding associated with combustion. Hence, occupants can be notified for a safe evacuation of the premises while emergency respondents start controlling the spread of fire. There are two basic types of fire alarm system, one is automatic and the other is manual but it can also have both features at the same time just like Bronco THERMAN (Thermostatic and Manual) fire extinguishers. The former can take any forms in response to physical changes in case of fire such as convected thermal energy, heat detector, combustion gases, etc. The latter, on the other hand, is easily accessible near the exit and has a manual pull station to be operated as shown in the photo. Such a notification appliance alerts occupants by audible, visible, tactile or textual methods. Audible fire alarm is widely used wherein a particular sound pattern or recorded voice shall direct the occupant’s response. The latest technology can even use computers with surveillance cameras to further improve emergency response.