Smarter, cheaper, faster: How new fire safety tech is making older buildings safer

If you live in or manage an older building around Sai Kung town, upgrading fire safety systems under the Fire Safety (Buildings) Ordinance (Cap. 572) has long been a headache. With tight space constraints, structural limitations, and eye-watering installation costs, reaching full compliance often felt like an uphill battle.

The Hong Kong Fire Services Department (HKFSD) has announced major expansions to its practical, tech-driven alternative schemes, dramatically easing the burden on property owners.

What’s new? IoT Fire Detection System expands

Following a successful initial rollout for buildings up to six storeys, the HKFSD is expanding its Internet of Things (IoT) Fire Detection System pilot scheme to buildings with seven or more storeys. This expansion is set to cover approximately 6,000 residential and composite buildings across Hong Kong.

The department previously invited over 3,000 buildings to adopt the system, but only around 300 have submitted applications. Acting Deputy Chief Fire Officer (Building Improvement) Lai Kin-mo stated that buildings must consider signal transmission strength and may need on-site testing to determine suitability for installation.

Additionally, property owners must reach a consensus on whether to choose the traditional or new scheme, as well as on the service providers, contract terms, and fee structures—a process that takes time.

The “IoT Fire Detection System” automatically detects fires and transmits an alert to a service provider’s platform within about ten seconds, before sending it onward to the Fire Services Communications Centre via a dedicated line.

Under original regulations, all buildings were required to be equipped with a hydrant and hose reel system as well as a manual fire alarm system. Under the alternative scheme, buildings with 7 to 12 storeys—both those with and without existing dry risers—must install the “IoT Fire Detection System”, add two 5kg dry powder fire extinguishers on each floor, and remove existing manual fire alarm systems. Additionally, buildings with existing dry risers must undergo functional testing on those risers, while those without must install dry risers in all staircases.

Buildings with 13 storeys or more must also install the “IoT Fire Detection System”, remove existing manual fire alarm systems, and install IoT sensors for existing fire pumps and water tanks.

How it works:

Direct Alerts: Instead of relying solely on manual glass-break alarms, smart IoT detectors automatically monitor for fire signs. Signals are routed through a dedicated platform straight to the Fire Services Communications Centre.
Real-time Health Monitoring: The system provides 24/7 real-time monitoring and health reports, ensuring alarms remain fully operational alongside traditional annual inspections.
No Major Construction: The system bypasses structural and space limitations common in older blocks. Installation takes just 2 to 4 weeks (down from 1 to 2 years for conventional upgrades).
Lower Costs: Upgrading costs drop by 15% to 62%—costing between HK$50k and HK$2.2M compared to the HK$1.3M to HK$2.6M required for legacy systems.

Based on the presentation document for the fire service installation trade by the Fire Services Department, the IoT Fire Detection System (IoT FDS) uses a multi-layered redundant architecture to eliminate single points of failure and ensure stable alarm transmission under all conditions:

Dual Power Supply Architecture

Detectors: Equipped with a primary battery and a secondary/parallel battery offering a service life of over 3 years.
4G LoRa Gateways: Powered by the building’s main AC supply and backed up by an internal emergency battery to handle power outages.

Multi-Sensor Element Fusion

Dual-sensor detectors integrate both smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) sensing. Cross-verifying these readings confirms genuine fires—such as smouldering fires with high CO and low smoke—while significantly reducing false alarms caused by environmental interference.

Dual Gateway Architecture

Configured with redundant localised gateways (Gateway 1 & Gateway 2). If a single gateway fails, data transmission seamlessly fails over to the secondary gateway to prevent communication loss.

Dual SIM Failover Mechanism

Each gateway carries two SIM cards from different mobile network operators (Primary SIM A and Backup SIM B). If the primary mobile network drops, the system automatically switches to the backup network to stay online.

End-to-End Status Monitoring & Heartbeat Mechanism

The system performs regular health heartbeat checks (within 30 minutes for mains-powered devices and 24 hours for battery-powered devices) alongside 24/7 real-time status monitoring. System faults are reported in 20 seconds or less, ensuring quick detection and maintenance.

“IoT Fire Detection System” Expanded to Target Buildings of 7 Storeys or Above

Advantages of the “IoT Fire Detection System”

Fire Detection: Automatically detects fires and transmits fire alarm signals directly to the Fire Services Communication Centre.
Installation Works: No structural or space limitations.
Installation Period: Reduced from 1–2 years to 2–4 weeks.
Installation Costs: Reduced from HK$1.3M~HK$2.6M to HK$0.5M~HK$2.2M (down 15%–62%).
Maintenance & Supervision: In addition to annual inspections, real-time monitoring functions are added.

Simplified Sprinkler Systems: No Water Tank Required

For buildings facing extreme space restrictions, installing traditional fire sprinkler systems usually meant finding room for a massive overhead water tank.

To solve this, HKFSD and the Water Supplies Department have introduced an Improvised Sprinkler System (Direct Pump Supply).

Direct Mains Connection: Instead of an expensive, bulky tank on the roof, sprinkler pumps connect directly to the government water mains using standard backflow preventers and pressure-reducing valves.
Massive Savings: Works take 3 to 5 years instead of 6 to 8 years, and overall costs fall by up to 75% (slashing costs from HK$3M~6M down to roughly HK$1.5M).
Water Interruption Backup: In the event of temporary water supply cutoffs, HKFSD works closely with the Water Supplies Department to alert frontline crews and deploy emergency resources immediately.

The photos above show the improvised sprinkler system for an elderly centre in a 5-storey building in Sai Kung town. A few premises in 5-storey buildings (e.g. bank, restaurant, supermarket) in Sai Kung town also have similar improvised sprinkler systems to meet licensing requirements.

Improvised Sprinkler System (Direct Pump Supply)

Advantages

Installation Works: Fewer structural and space limitations.
Installation Period: Reduced from 6–8 years to 3–5 years.
Installation Costs: Reduced from HK$3M~6Mto HK$1.5M (down 50%–75%).

Key Features

No need to install a sprinkler water tank

Diagram Annotations:

Rooftop (天台)
Upper Floors (樓上)
Ground Floor (地下)
Government Water Mains (政府供水水管)
Sprinkler Heads (花灑頭)
Backflow Preventer: Prevents contamination of potable water (防止回流裝置 — 防止食水污染)
Pressure Reducing Valve: Stabilises inlet water pressure (減壓閥 — 穩定入泵水壓)
Sprinkler Pump: Located on the ground floor (花灑泵 — 設於地下)
Alarm Valve (Ground Floor) (警報閥 (地下))

Applicable Buildings: Buildings regulated under:

Fire Safety (Commercial Premises) Ordinance (Cap. 502)
Fire Safety (Buildings) Ordinance (Cap. 572)
Fire Safety (Industrial Buildings) Ordinance (Cap. 636)

The Fire Services Department plans to introduce an improvised sprinkler system in around 900 buildings in October this year. Traditional sprinkler systems require a relatively large sprinkler water tank to be installed on the building’s roof to supply water to the sprinkler systems on every floor. Under the new system, government water mains will be connected directly to a backflow preventer, delivering water straight to the sprinkler systems on different floors via a pressure-reducing valve.

Regarding potential water supply suspensions, Lai Kin-mo noted that close communication will be maintained with the Water Supplies Department. Should the Water Supplies Department become aware of a water suspension, the Fire Services Department will receive a notification and immediately activate emergency contingency plans to inform frontline personnel that the affected building is impacted by a water outage, dispatching additional fire appliances and manpower where necessary.

What This Means for Sai Kung Residents and Owners

While over 300 buildings have already expressed interest in these streamlined upgrades, official implementation requires owners to come together, discuss quotes, and pass resolutions at Owners’ Corporation (OC) meetings.

If your building has outstanding Fire Safety Directions, these new alternatives offer a vastly more affordable, non-intrusive path to compliance without disrupting your living space.

Need Guidance?

You can contact the HKFSD Building Improvement Support Centre directly at 2272 9112 for advice tailored to your building’s layout.

References