A 38- year-old man, fire safety specialist in Kisumu, has invented automatic fire system aimed at addressing fire outbreaks in schools.
Joshua Juma said he has fully installed the system at Ahero Girls High School.
The launch of the system was however halted due to Covid-19 protocols. Education CS George Magoha was to preside over the event, Juma said.
He said he invented the system in 2019 after working for years with a foreign company dealing in fire safety at Sarit Centre, Nairobi.
“I was motivated with numerous cases of fire in our public boarding schools,” Juma said.
He hails from Kajulu, Kisumu East sub-county.
In his innovation, Juma said he came up with the system after learning how firefighter engine work.
He first installed the system at Maliera Boys Secondary School in Siaya County.
“I did the installation in one of the dormitories in the school,” Juma said.
The fire system, he said, senses smoke faster when fire occurs before the installed sprinklers starts to release water to put off the fire.
Juma, 38 years old, said the system’s sensor has the capacity to sense heat of between 30-45 degree.
The sprinklers able to sprinkle water to a maximum of four radius during a fire incident.
Juma said in case the system is tempered with anybody then sprinklers will release water all over the floor making it hard for one to start fire.
At Ahero Girls, Juma said they have installed the sensor sprinklers in every cube in all the dormitories. The system is connected to a water tank of 5,000 litres.
In case the automatic system fails, Juma said there is backup system (manual) with a horse rack of 30 meters.
The rack has the capacity to sprinkle water to a range of 60-100 meters in case of fire incident.
According to Juma, the system is swift to help control rampant fire incidents in schools. It is also easy to operate whenever fire occurs.
“Most of the time you find the fire fighters take a lot of time before they arrive at the scene. This system of mine is simple and easy to manage,” he said.
He said they have also trained security guards and teachers at Ahero Girls on how to operate the system.
Fire safety guidance have also been strategically placed within the school.
To increase uptake in schools, Juma appealed to the ministry of Education and Industrialization to support him on his innovation.
He expressed confidence that the system will help address cases of fire in schools.
“I did business administration and interior design. But due to lack of job opportunities in business, I decided to go in the interior. I worked with Ramco Group Seyani brothers and in 2006, we were taken to Uganda to do interior design in Nile Hotel currently Serena Hotel, that’s then I got interest on doing fire safety,” he said.
He added, “I had to quit my work and came back to Kenya to start work with central plumbers as a laborer for me to have the skills on how to prevent fire.”
“In 2016, I was able to do my first sample at Maliera that went successful and the principal was very excited,” Juma said.
courtesy the star
Source: KENYAGIST.COM
