LoRaWAN protects sacred buildings: Grenchen pilot with laser smoke detection

After two cases of arson during the pandemic, the Roman Catholic parish of Grenchen in Switzerland has implemented a pilot project that rethinks fire protection in historic buildings: a system of lasers placed in the ceiling area forms an invisible detection network for smoke – connected via LoRaWAN and with minimal interference to the building fabric.

"Simply ingenious! Our sacred buildings are now protected, and we have developed something that can also be useful for many other historic buildings," says Franziska Fritz, former member of the parish council.

Challenge: Fire protection without interfering with the building fabric

Commercially available fire alarm systems are often difficult to implement in churches: lack of reference projects, high costs, complex requirements, aesthetic demands, and the protection of historical structures. This is exactly where the parish came in: instead of a cable-intensive installation, a wireless LoRaWAN concept was chosen that adapts to the structural conditions.

Implementation: Laser smoke detection meets LoRaWAN

The laser units are placed on existing structural elements in the ceiling area and form an invisible network for early smoke detection. Communication takes place via LoRaWAN – ideal for sensitive buildings where cabling, breakthroughs, and visible technology should be avoided.

Alertifyr: Digital alarm and evacuation from Switzerland

Alertifyr is used for alerting and escalation – a digital alerting and evacuation system for fire, smoke, rampage, and security-related events in schools, public buildings, industry, construction sites, and events.

Thanks to LoRaWAN, the system can be flexibly expanded and combined with commercially available sensors; installation can be wireless and battery-powered. Alertifyr alerts defined persons directly via SMS, telephone, or app – independently of central control centers. The manufacturer is uxiamo GmbH from Grenchen; Alertifyr is Swiss-made software.

More than fire protection: a platform for a wide range of applications

The pilot project shows how LoRaWAN can be used to implement numerous applications in existing and historic buildings: from fire and smoke alarms to burglary and sabotage protection to construction site or event monitoring – and much more.

LoRaWAN infrastructure: flexible with private or public networks

No complex cabling is required to operate the solution: the sensors communicate via LoRaWAN. Whether a separate (private) gateway is used on site or the connection is made via a publicly available LoRaWAN network (e.g., regional community infrastructure or operator networks) depends on the respective location, availability requirements, and structural conditions.