TECHNOLOGY-DRIVEN FIRE SAFETY SOLUTIONS IN SMART CITIES: A REVIEW OF INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

The accelerated urbanization process and the growing complexity of constructed environments have aggravated the fire-related hazards in contemporary urban areas and brought the need to develop smarter and more integrated approaches to fire safety. The implementation of modern digital technologies, real-time sensing, and use of data-driven decision-making are important opportunities presented by smart city structures to boost resilience to urban fire. This is a systematic review covering technology-based fire safety solutions in intelligent cities, including intelligent detection and sensing systems, data-driven technologies and prediction, response technologies, including drones, robotics, and automated suppressing systems, and command-and-control technologies built around Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Moreover, the paper examines the modern-day emergency management strategies such as integrated command platforms, interagency coordination and community involvement via public alert systems. Comprehending current peer-reviewed literature, standards, and reported examples of smart cities, this review identifies the essential technological achievements, advantages of operation, and challenges that cannot be overcome, including interoperability, cybersecurity, cost, governance, and equitable access. The paper concludes that the identification of the research gaps that are critical and future directions that can be taken to enhance the scalable, secure and inclusive deployment of intelligent fire safety systems within the smart city surroundings. Keywords: Smart Cities, Fire Safety, IoT, Machine Learning, Digital Twin, Emergency Management, Drones, GIS, Building Information Modeling