Artificial intelligence could strengthen building security, fire prevention and emergency response across Maharashtra by enabling real-time monitoring, earlier detection and faster alerts, Maharashtra Fire Services director Santosh Warick said at a security conclave in Pune.
Warick, who is also chief fire officer of the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation, said AI could be used to monitor crowds in factories, offices and malls while improving the management of security systems. He was speaking at the PSP-ASIS Conclave, organised by Pune Security Professionals and the American Society for Industrial Security around the theme “AI in Security”.
According to a statement issued by the organisers, Warick said AI could help monitor fire safety installations in buildings and support quicker responses during emergencies. The remarks focused on the use of connected systems rather than on a specific new government programme or statewide technology rollout.
He said fire detection systems, alarms, hydrants and sprinkler systems fitted with sensors could generate alerts during emergencies. Such alerts could give building managers and fire services earlier information about an incident and help them respond more quickly, although the statement did not provide details of any existing pilot project, deployment timetable or funding arrangement.
Warick also referred to amendments made to the Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act in 2023, highlighting the need to strengthen fire safety mechanisms in buildings. The source material did not specify which provisions of the amended law would govern the use of AI-enabled monitoring or how technology systems would be integrated with existing inspection and compliance processes.
The discussion placed AI within a wider building-security framework that includes surveillance, access control, emergency preparedness and the management of security personnel. Brigadier Preetpal Singh, national head of security at Bank of Baroda, said security professionals needed to understand both the opportunities and risks associated with AI, according to the organisers’ statement.
The conclave brought together professionals from corporate, industrial and technology security, risk management and analysis. Sunil Beedlam, co-founder of PSP, said the forum’s discussions covered geopolitical developments affecting security, challenges related to security personnel, access control systems and emergency preparedness.
The statements indicate growing interest among security and fire-safety professionals in applying AI to buildings and industrial facilities. However, the event did not announce a regulatory mandate, a confirmed procurement programme or a specific project for Maharashtra. Further details on standards, accountability, data management and implementation would be needed before the proposed applications translate into operational systems.
