Chief Executive Officer of Pesonet, Joshua Agyeman, has created a smoke detector that comes with an app to detect smokes and gas or fuel leaks in homes and fueling stations in real time.

The 26-year-old entrepreneur told Joy News’ Komla Adom that he got the concept to create the app when a company he visited had caught fire.

“I was in one of the offices of a company there was smoke coming heavily from the ceiling and you could see it was burning but the smoke detector they had could not trigger by itself,” he stated.

Mr. Agyeman explained the smoke detector devices in many offices and homes work but until the actual fire starts the alarms do not really trigger when it is just smoke.

He said the device he has created comes with an app that gives home, offices or warehouse owners the opportunity to stop fires before they begin wherever they are.

According to him “the device has a sensor that detects smoke, fire and LPG gases.”

Figures from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) indicate that 3,282 fires were recorded for the first half of the year as against 3,102 cases within the same period in 2017, representing an increase of 180 cases. 

The Greater Accra Region topped the list with 640 fires, compared to 542 last year, followed by the Ashanti Region with a reported 629 cases. Last year, 522 cases were recorded within the same period.

The Central Region has so far registered 404 cases this year compared to the 294 cases reported last year.  
 
The Upper West Region has also recorded 66 fires this year up against 64 cases last year. 

“If you travel for instance away from your homes or offices to outside the country, with the help of the app you can still check up on the buildings,” he said.

Mr. Joshua explained that the device has a temperature humidity to verify if the smoke has moisture or it is dry.

He explained “the data collected can make it easier to identify if there is a gas leakage, a fuel leakage or the smoke is as a result of an electrical fault or other sources.”

Mr. Agyemang said, “whenever the temperature reaches a threshold that is beyond expectation it triggers an alarm.”

When fixed in the homes, cold stores, warehouses, offices it can tell the temperature humidity readings wherever you are.

He said the smart smoke and fire detector prototype is awaiting approval from the appropriate authorities and will soon be available on Play Store and Apple Store.