It was an honour to speak on behalf of Ci Global at the recent Fire Safety Forum in Dubai – an event that brought together leaders and experts to confront a critical challenge: how to redefine fire safety for the modern age.
For me, it was more than a speech. It was a call to rethink how we protect lives in homes and workplaces from one of the most underestimated yet potentially deadly threats: electrical fires.
After decades in public service – from counter-terrorism to policing the London Olympics – I’ve learned one truth above all: prevention is always better than response. Yet too often, our systems still wait for smoke, for alarms, for visible signs that the danger is already upon us.
That has to change.
While much of the forum focused on innovation, response and resilience in a region of the world where electrical fires are a leading cause of fires. Ci Global brought something different: a vision for stopping electrical fires before they ignite.
What are the dangers of electrical fires?
We need only look to 2017’s devastating Grenfell Tower tragedy to understand the catastrophic potential of a single electrical fault.
That horrific blaze, which claimed seventy-two innocent lives, originated from a fault in a fridge freezer – an appliance found in every home. The subsequent Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 Report later exposed the systemic failures that allowed such a tragedy to unfold.
Grenfell is a harrowing reminder that while we may not prevent every fire, what if we could prevent the majority of electrical fires before they begin? This is where our focus must shift – beyond detection, to proactive, intelligent prevention.
From reaction to smart electrical fire prevention
For decades, the standard approach to fire safety has been anchored in reaction. We wait for alarms to sound, smoke to rise, danger to become visible – and only then do our systems respond.
These existing measures matter. They’ve saved countless lives. But by their very design, they come too late. They come after a fire has already started. And by then, the danger is already unfolding.
By the time a traditional alarm sounds, a fire may already be spreading – putting lives at risk, threatening property, not to mention endangering the lives of the very people who run toward danger to protect the rest of us: the fire fighters and first responders.
This reactive model keeps us permanently on the back foot.
We need to change that – urgently.
It’s time to move from reaction to prevention. To stop fires before they start.
That shift begins with a simple yet powerful principle: the safest fire is the one that never starts. And for the first time, we have the technology to make that principle real. Systems that don’t just warn of electrical fire danger, but act to prevent a fire ever having a chance to start.
This isn’t just an incremental step forward. It’s a fundamental rethinking of what it means to be safe.
Why I joined Ci Global
My journey to Ci Global is rooted in a lifetime dedicated to public safety. I’ve had the privilege of serving in a range of roles – from Chief Constable of Merseyside Police, to Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary, and ultimately as Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, the UK’s largest police force with 50,000 staff.
Across each of those positions – whether leading national counter-terrorism efforts, protecting the Royal Family and Government, or overseeing the security of major events like the 2012 London Olympics – my focus has always been clear: reduce risk, respond decisively, and above all, protect lives.
It is this profound sense of duty and purpose that brings me to advocate so strongly for the mission of Ci Global.
I first met Anthony D. Parfitt many years ago, when he was helping us deploy new technology across police vehicles in the UK. At the time, he was leading the development of automatic number plate recognition systems for the Home Office – technology that, for the first time, allowed untaxed vehicles to be identified in real time.
Even then, Anthony stood out. Where others saw problems, he saw solutions. And more importantly, he turned them into working, real-world systems. His work has supported the UK Government, police forces, Network Rail, and other areas where safety is critical.
He’s not just an inventor – he’s a problem-solver with a deep commitment to public safety.
However, it was Anthony’s response to the Grenfell Tower tragedy that truly deepened my respect for his mission.
After witnessing the devastation caused by an electrical fault, he asked himself a simple but profound question: What could he do – as a proven safety systems innovator – to make sure something like that never happened again?
His answer wasn’t to improve the status quo. It was to redefine it.
He set out to build technology that could stop electrical fires before they start – not just detect them after ignition.
When Anthony first showed me what he’d developed with Ci Global, I was genuinely astounded. After decades in public service – facing some of the most complex and high-stakes challenges imaginable – I can say with conviction: this is one of the most important safety innovations I’ve ever encountered.
It’s not just a better system. It’s a complete shift in mindset – from reacting to fires, to preventing them. From managing disasters, to pre-empting them.
Smarter Fire Prevention for Homes and Commercial Buildings
What moved me to join Ci Global’s Advisory Board wasn’t just the technology. It was the potential behind it – the chance to protect families before disaster strikes, and to support the emergency service professionals who put themselves in harm’s way to keep others safe.
It’s about more than innovation. It’s about fundamentally reshaping what fire safety means – from the ground up.
At its heart, Ci Global’s approach rests on three powerful pillars:
Real-time fault detection
At the heart of Ci Global’s technology is ThermalVision™ – a system embedded across the entire Ci ecosystem. Unlike traditional fire safety tools that wait for smoke or flames, ThermalVision™ works in real time, constantly monitoring the thermal behaviour of electrical circuits and devices.
It’s designed to detect the subtle – and often invisible – early warning signs of electrical fire risk. Things like arcing, overloaded circuits, faulty wiring, or overheating components inside everyday appliances and sockets.
And with built-in artificial intelligence, it goes further. It learns how power is used over time, spots unusual patterns, and alerts when something is likely to go wrong – often long before it becomes dangerous.
Automated power shut-off
When a thermal anomaly or fault signature is detected, Ci’s technology responds immediately. It cuts power to the affected device or circuit, removing the electrical ‘fuel’ before heat can build to the point of ignition.
This is where Ci stands apart: This intervention occurs long before flames can develop or smoke becomes apparent, effectively starving the fire before it can begin.
Visibility and control
Ci’s system doesn’t just protect – it provides real-time intelligence. Connected to the cloud, Ci-enabled devices deliver live data, alarms, and insights to homeowners, building managers, and even emergency services.
That visibility is critical. It reinforces Ci’s proactive approach – allowing issues to be identified and addressed before they escalate.
And Ci is taking it even further – working with white goods manufacturers to embed ThermalVision™ directly into the power supplies of household appliances. This ‘Ci Safe’ approach builds intelligence in from the start, monitoring high-risk appliances around the clock.
This not only prevents fires at their source, but also creates a vital record of events – a kind of ‘black box’ for electrical safety. That means better diagnostics, better product safety, and valuable data for manufacturers, insurers, and consumers alike. If something goes wrong, it’s possible to determine how and why.
Our flagship platform, Ci Max, brings these features together – enabling electrical safety in the workplace, smart home safety, and commercial fire safety systems in a single solution.
Why the UAE matters
Our decision to showcase and advocate for Ci Global’s preventative technology in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was a deliberate one – grounded in the nation’s proven commitment to safety and its leadership in embracing innovation.
Dubai has set a global benchmark in civil defence and public protection. This is not simply aspirational language – it is reflected in tangible outcomes. The leadership of The General Command of Dubai Civil Defense has consistently demonstrated a clear vision and unwavering dedication to safeguarding people and infrastructure.
That leadership inspires. The UAE has built a culture where innovation is not only welcomed, but actively pursued. It is a nation that doesn’t wait for the future – it builds it.
And that makes it the ideal environment for transformational technologies, like Ci’s, to be understood, adopted, and scaled. The UAE has repeatedly shown the foresight to invest in solutions that deliver more than marginal gains – they deliver major leaps forward in safety.
That’s why we believe the UAE is uniquely positioned to lead a global shift in electrical fire prevention. It’s an opportunity to lead by example once again – and to inspire the world to embrace a new standard: one where prevention becomes the foundation of fire safety everywhere.
A clear path
The way forward is clear. Electrical fire prevention must become a global standard – not an afterthought. The tools are here. The technology is proven. What’s needed now is the courage to act.
We urge:
- Governments and regulators to modernise codes and mandates
- Manufacturers to integrate intelligent prevention into their products
- Builders and property managers to adopt proactive safety infrastructure
- Emergency services to embrace real-time data and AI-supported interventions
And we call for collaboration. Ci Global is committed to working alongside civil defence, governments, organisations, regulators, industry partners, and communities around the world – to turn this shared vision into reality.
Moving towards prevention, together
Together, we have the power to share knowledge, drive innovation, and ensure this life-saving technology reaches every part of the world – protecting people and property from the devastating impact of electrical fires.
This is not about selling a product. It’s about starting a movement – one that makes prevention the foundation of global fire safety, so families no longer have to experience a tragedy that could have been avoided.
The challenge is significant, but our resolve is stronger. The technology is ready. The opportunity to lead this change, to protect countless lives, and to inspire a new global standard in fire safety is before us. Let us seize it with determination and move forward with shared purpose – and make prevention the new global standard.
Lord Hogan-Howe also co-hosts the podcast ‘Crime Scene’ with journalist Alison Phillips. In each episode, they explore real criminal investigations and the challenges of modern policing – offering listeners an insider’s perspective on justice and public safety. You can listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.
