One of the most deadly things in a major structure fire isn’t the fire or heat but actually the smoke that is produced. In many instances more people die due to smoke inhalation than any other cause. While there are many strategies regarding a structure fire that mitigate this potential issue it’s far from fool proof. This is something the people behind the Air Pocket plan to help with. The Air Pocket is a small, portable air purifier that transfers the poisonous air emitted by a structure fire and releases fresh air to help increase the survival rate of anyone stuck inside a building during a fire.
Product Description
The Air Pocket is a small, spherical device that contains an air purification system to help eliminate noxious fumes from a building fire to increase survivability of potential casualties. It is made up of an air intake located at the top with an air exhaust on the bottom. Within the Air Pocket is a filter system made up of three stage filter system consisting of a prefilter, a HEPA filter, and extractor fan. Stage one, the prefilter, is an electrostatic filter of antibacterial matter. Stage two, the HEPA filter, purifies the smoke particles in the air. Stage three, the extractor fan, filters out any remaining dust and exhausts the filtered air. All of this is powered by a self-contained motor. Additionally the Air Pocket has a LED lighted ring around the middle to provide extra light to assist the fire victims in escaping the blaze.
Does it work?
While a small house fire may not receive the most benefit of a product like this, a larger building such as an office, apartment complex, hotel, etc. would greatly benefit from a product like this. This is especially true as most larger buildings require people to leave the building though stairwells, these can quickly become smoke filled causing a higher risk of smoke inhalation and/or panic in fire victims.
Conclusion
Overall the Air Pocket can be a wonderful asset for a building or fire fighters. With the air filtration system, extra lighting feature, and mobility of the Air Pocket make it a valuable resource in fire safety and fire victim survivability. This is especially true for larger structures that can potentially cause victims on higher level floors to be susceptible to smoke the Air Pocket can make the difference between life and death.
