The European fire safety sector is undergoing a significant transformation as digitalisation, remote connectivity, and cybersecurity collectively reshape building protection and maintenance strategies.
Euralarm's recent White Paper delves into fire safety in a connected world, exploring the integration of detection systems, remote services, and cybersecurity. This comprehensive document explains how fire detection technologies are evolving into intelligent infrastructures, impacting service providers, building operators, and policymakers.
Addressing the challenge of false alarms
False alarms continue to be a major concern across Europe. According to Euralarm's 2022 False Alarm Study, the false alarm rate for Fire Detection and Alarm Systems (FDAS) exceeds 85% in some regions.
These unnecessary activations disrupt business operations, undermine confidence in fire safety systems, and risk wasting emergency resources. Concurrently, factors like climate change, energy efficiency initiatives, and a dwindling skilled labour force are influencing how buildings are operated and maintained.
Evolution of fire detection systems
The digital transformation presents robust solutions through smart connectivity
The digital transformation presents robust solutions through smart connectivity, cloud-based monitoring, and data analytics. Modern fire detection systems now offer real-time insights and enable functionalities like remote diagnosis, predictive maintenance, and informed decision-making. These advances diminish downtime, enhance safety measures, and align with sustainability goals by reducing travel and optimising resource utilisation.
With increased connectivity, prioritising cybersecurity has become essential. As fire systems become more internet-reliant, protecting them from digital vulnerabilities is crucial to maintaining safety and operational integrity. Adhering to standards such as EN 50710:2021, CLC/TS 50136-10, IEC 62443, and ISO/IEC 27001 ensures the secure operation of these systems. Implementing Security by Design and Security by Default principles further secures fire protection systems against unauthorised access and disruption.
Integrating smart fire protection
By combining fire detection, remote services, and cybersecurity, European stakeholders are poised to create more secure and sustainable buildings.
The model of interconnected digital fire safety is already gaining traction, anticipated to become a common practice in new and modernised buildings by the latter half of the decade. As these technologies and requirements integrate into building operations and European regulations, early adopters will drive the market transformation, establishing more reliable systems that protect lives and assets effectively.
The European fire safety industry is at a turning point. Digitalisation, remote connectivity, and cybersecurity are converging to redefine how buildings are protected and maintained. Euralarm’s new White Paper on fire safety in a connected world covers integrating detection, remote services and cybersecurity. This white paper outlines how fire detection systems are transforming into intelligent, connected infrastructures — and what this means for service providers, building operators, and policymakers across.
Across the continent, false alarms remain a significant burden: studies such as Euralarm’s 2022 False Alarm Study show that in some countries the false fire alarm ratio of FDAS (Fire Detection and Alarm Systems) is over 85%, unnecessary activations disrupt business continuity, erode confidence in fire protection systems and potentially waste emergency resources. At the same time, climate change, energy efficiency targets, and a shrinking pool of skilled labour are reshaping building operations and maintenance practices.
Fire detection systems
Digital transformation offers powerful answers. Through smart connectivity, cloud-based monitoring, and data analytics, fire detection systems can now provide real-time insights, enabling remote diagnosis, predictive maintenance, and data-driven decision-making. These capabilities reduce downtime, improve safety, and support sustainability goals by cutting travel and optimising resource use.
However, with connectivity comes a new responsibility: cybersecurity. As fire systems are more often connected via the internet, they must be protected from digital threats that could compromise safety or availability. Standards such as EN 50710:2021 (for remote services), CLC/TS 50136-10 (for Remote Access Infrastructure), IEC 62443 (for industrial OT cybersecurity), and ISO/IEC 27001 (for IT information security management) provide the framework for building and operating secure systems that are designed to protect information, assets, and operations from unauthorised access, damage, or disruption. Such secure systems that follow Security by Design and Security by Default principles ensure that fire protection remains reliable, even in the connected era.
Delivering smarter protection
By integrating fire detection, remote services, and cybersecurity, European stakeholders can achieve safer, more resilient, and more sustainable buildings.
Interconnected digital fire safety is already emerging as the new operating model and is expected to become standard practice across many new and modernised buildings during the second half of this decade, as connectivity, remote services and cybersecurity requirements become embedded in building operations and European regulatory frameworks. Those who act now will lead the market transformation, delivering smarter protection and stronger trust in the systems that safeguard lives and assets.
