We spoke with Kemal Evcioğlu, who has worked as a technical manager in major facilities for many years and currently serves as the Chairman of the UTTMD, about "Integration, Periodic Maintenance and Sustainable Facilities." You can read the part 2 of our interview below.
The integration of fire detection and other security systems is extremely important. We can see it in modern buildings. Integrated systems are designed to control proactive actions such as automatically-opening doors for evacuation when a fire alarm is triggered, transmitting the necessary command to air conditioning units for smoke extraction, and closing fire dampers on lower or upper floors at the appropriate time to prevent spread of fire depending upon the location. Software is designed suitably for crisis management. We must reiterate the importance of installing these modern systems and software in facilities and ensuring proper maintenance and management of them. However, vulnerabilities are observed in the field. The priority should be installing an effective system, not a cheap one.
As the UTTMD Association, we constantly emphasize this topic at each event. Each system must be up and running, and regular maintenance must be performed. Before prioritizing price and selecting a supplier based on affordability, you should take sustainability of your supplier into consideration. All details, such as who is the manufacturer and where is the production performed, should be examined in the procurement phase. You should not be left unsupported, if your system provider withdraws its support for financial or other reasons. Therefore, the company should also be taken into consideration when selecting a system.
No manager, regardless of their level, should select a system that they would not approve of. It is not hard to imagine what could happen to that facility. A technical manager must thoroughly understand the structure of their facility, excellently understand its processes and be meticulous. The greatest asset of a technical manager in ensuring life safety is not just their well-trained staff, but also their fire protection systems, which we can identify as their backbone. If you select and maintain these high-quality systems properly, they will be your most important guarantee. Otherwise, as a technical manager, you could face significant challenges and lose your sleep!
For example, when I worked for international hotel chains, we had fire prevention and maintenance plans. These plans were also monitored by their headquarters. We adhered to international inspections and sanctions. We would immediately submit our documentation answering any questions. Do not just focus on the fire system; good facility managers ensure regular maintenance of each system. Compliance with local, national and international laws requires this. It also gives you peace of mind and confidence. In this way, you can learn a lot from these efforts, and your self-confidence will increase.
I had personally experienced three or four fires that we could manage to extinguish before they resulted in significant damage. Luckily, in the facilities where I worked, the fire alarm system allowed us to notice fires earlier before they spread, and prevent them from becoming major blazes.
Fires can break out from a minor oversight or even major negligence. For example, you need to be prepared for many scenarios, such as a wet towel left on the stove at a spa and then dries and starts to burn if you did not take it away. Timely response to such hazards earns the trust of your employees, guests, and your patients in hospitals. For this reason, in my own words, implementing the concept of "360-degree management and 24-hour security" is mandatory. We need these efficient systems to be used practically.
Fire detection and alarm systems are the systems that will save us time to prevent major losses. For this reason, regular maintenance of these systems is crucial. If the system is not in place and fails to ensure early detection, the fire would inevitably spread. While you might be thinking that ‘‘you saved money by not having maintenance done’’, you might actually find your facility severely-damaged or even destroyed.
Neither efficiency nor sustainability can be achieved without life and property safety systems. This is crucial because these systems are essential at the heart of these concepts.
These systems which are required in terms of life safety must be installed first. Your emergency action plan must also be feasible, so that you can lay the foundation for a sustainable facility. Then, you can reach the phase where you can live and work in that facility with complete peace of mind. Energy efficiency is also a part of sustainability. Digital transformation and technological developments ensure convenience. Passive energy-saving measures simply require dedication and efforts. Active measures, on the other hand, require a budget and implementation of them. For example, you purchase a new system for your facility, maintain it and save money by keeping its performance up-to-date. Systems that protect your life and property lay the foundation for optimal water, electricity and natural gas conservation within the framework of sustainability. Contributions such as ensuring energy efficiency or user-friendliness across the inherent cycle of this system are secondary benefits.
As an association, we view our facilities as living organisms. Each organism has needs; they consume energy, generate waste, and they are mobile. In fact, sustainability and efficiency are valid concepts across the life cycle of a facility. These concepts do not make any sense without ensuring the safety of life and property.
For this reason, these systems must be constantly up and running and under control at our facilities.
We are going through the most significant and rapid transformation in human history. Unfortunately, crises, epidemics, fires and earthquakes are on our agenda constantly. At a time when we were thinking that we were switching from conventional building management to fully-modern building management, we were plunged into the midst of a pandemic with the Covid-19 outbreak in 2019. Our priorities regarding measures have changed, and health has become the top priority. In other words, when we talk about the safety of life and property, we do not just mean fire; we need an emergency action plan that covers all types of emergencies, such as pandemics. We also need to have excellent plans and technical measures against such emergencies.
In addition, we are witnessing revolutionary technological developments in terms of modern building management. Artificial intelligence applications, robotic solutions and the Industry 5.0 are all being discussed. With such rapid progress, we cannot afford to overlook the importance of emergency management, which will also ensure sustainability and efficiency. To enable efficiency and sustainability at our facilities, we must prioritize installing reliable systems that will mitigate risks.
