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Sharjah building owners told to install smart fire detection system

Sharjah - The advisory comes after the 49-storey Abbco Tower in the emirate's Al Nahda area was gutted in a massive blaze last week.

All buildings in Sharjah are now required to instal a smart fire detection system that automatically sends fire alerts to the emirate's Civil Defence team, authorities said on Tuesday.
The Sharjah Prevention and Safety Authority (SPSA) said this system called 'Aman' will reduce the Civil Defence team's response time in case of emergencies and improve the emirate's fire prevention capabilities.
Owners of buildings that still have the banned aluminum composite cladding were also reminded to remove and replace the material as soon as possible, the SPSA said.
The advisory comes after the 49-storey Abbco Tower in the emirate's Al Nahda area was gutted in a massive blaze last week. Police investigations revealed that one carelessly discarded cigarette butt caused the fire, which quickly spread throughout the building's facade because it was covered with the banned cladding material.
Sheikh Engineer Khaled bin Saqr Al Qasimi, chairman of the SPSA, said the directive was issued to all building owners to ensure that massive damage to properties are prevented in case of any untoward incidents.
The Amna safety system not only reports fires, it also detects problems and malfunctions in a tower's alarm systems.
Al Qasimi stressed that by mid-2020, all buildings in Sharjah - both commercial and residential - must have already been linked to the fire detection system.
"The system allows 24-hour monitoring of fire alarms, boosting the capability of Sharjah's General Directorate of Civil Defence to immediately respond to fire incidents. The system can easily be integrated into fire alarm panels of any building and it connects effectively to two central monitoring stations through mobile data and telephone networks," he said.
"Many buildings in the emirate have already been linked to Aman and works are in progress to link all establishments by mid-2020."
To get the system installed, building owners may register through the website of the SPSA (www.spsa.shj.ae) or call 600515152.
Inspections will continue to ensure that buildings are complying with safety measures, Al Qasimi pointed out.
The authority has also been spreading awareness in residential neghbourhoods, educating housewives and household workers on the how to ensure safety at home.
afkarali@khaleejtimes.com