Kourion municipality activated an artificial intelligence fire detection app on its staff’s mobile phones on Tuesday, as part of a pilot programme to spot smoke and fire early and get crews to the scene quickly.
The PyroGuard AI app gives authorised municipal staff real-time access to alerts generated by the company’s AI network. When a possible fire is detected, staff receive an alert on their phones with its GPS coordinates, information and images from the spot, and directions to reach it as quickly as possible.
According to information released by Kourion mayor Pantelis Georgiou, the technology can detect smoke and fire within ten seconds. The data can also be passed to the Fire Service to help coordinate the response.
The aim is to find and tackle fires in their early stages, before they grow into uncontrolled fronts that threaten lives, property and the natural environment, Georgiou said in a post.
The municipality has also added two new vehicles fitted with firefighting equipment to its fleet this year, through the EU Prevent-Disc programme, bringing its total number of firefighting vehicles to five.
