Fire Safety Tech Unlocks Wider Health Gains
03/12/2025
Matt Chenery,
A pilot project sparks new thinking
When Thorngate Living trialled a new fire suppression system in two of its supported housing flats, Chief Executive Anne Taylor saw it as a practical way to improve safety for older residents. But the pilot with Plumis – a design-led fire safety company – has revealed far greater potential: a single innovation can safeguard residents’ health, dignity and independence.
“We’re very conscious of fire risk, particularly for older residents,” says Taylor. “But what excited me about Plumis was that it also uses sensor technology – and I could see the potential for that data to improve lives.”
Plumis’ wall-mounted infrared sensors, designed for early fire detection, can also monitor patterns of movement, disrupted sleep, or even early indicators of cognitive decline. As co-founder Yusuf Muhammad puts it:
“If you’re putting sensors into a property to monitor for fire, what else could you do with those dormant sensors? You’ve paid for them – can they deliver more value for residents?”
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