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Sentinel Indoor Temperature Network (SITNet)

SITNet aims to monitor indoor temperatures across homes in B.C. to better understand the risk of residential indoor overheating during hot weather.

About the Sentinel Indoor Temperature Network (SITNet): 

Approximately 30 participants across BC will be included in the pilot phase of SITNet. This public health initiative is supported by the BC Health Effects of Anomalous Temperatures (BC HEAT) committee and is being conducted by the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC), a program of the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA).

SITNet randomly selected potential participants from a sample of low-income residents without air conditioning who provided permission to be contacted for future projects when participating in the B.C. COVID-19 SPEAK Surveys. 
Participants have been asked to install a cellular-connected sensor inside their homes to measure:
  • Indoor temperature
  • Relative indoor humidity
  • Indoor fine particulate matter from sources such as landscape fire smoke
The data collected by SITNet will help public health practitioners in the province to better prepare for and understand the health impacts of extreme heat events. 


Frequently asked questions

 

Extreme heat events can be dangerous because many people in B.C. do not have air conditioning, and it can get very hot inside their homes. Research from the 2021 heat dome has shown that low-income individuals without air conditioning were at high risk of heat-related injury. 


The BCCDC and other agencies do not have reliable information about indoor temperatures. Therefore, the purpose of this project is to monitor indoor temperatures across B.C. to better understand the risk of indoor overheating during hot weather by establishing a reliable and distributed network of indoor temperature monitors. 

Extreme heat events can be dangerous because many people in B.C. do not have air conditioning, and it can get very hot inside their homes. Research from the 2021 heat dome has shown that low-income individuals without air conditioning were at high risk of heat-related injury. The BCCDC and other agencies do not have reliable information about indoor temperatures. Therefore, the purpose of this project is to monitor indoor temperatures across B.C. to better understand the risk of indoor overheating during hot weather by establishing a reliable and distributed network of indoor temperature monitors. 

SITNet randomly selected 30 participants from a sample of residents who provided permission to be contacted for future research when participating in the B.C. COVID-19 SPEAK Surveys. The sampling focused on low-income households without air conditioning. 

The launch of this project in 2024 represents the pilot phase. This project will continue until at least Fall 2024 when the BCCDC and BC HEAT will assess its value in the provincial extreme heat response. Based on these results, we may expand the network in future.

 
Currently, SITNet is not recruiting more participants for the pilot phase. If you wish to participate in the future, keep watching this webpage for updates.

 
SITNet uses cellular-connected indoor sensors that measure temperature, relative humidity, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) indoors from sources such as cooking or landscape fire smoke (https://blues.com/products/airnote/).

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Enrolled participants have been mailed sensors to install inside their homes. Participants have been asked to mount the sensor to a wall and plug it in, so it can automatically connect to the cellular network. Data collected by the sensors are only available to the participants and the BC HEAT committee.

 

Data collected from the sensors are being collected into a databased stored at the BCCDC. The BC HEAT committee will use the database to access up-to-date information on indoor temperatures and air quality, to help manage extreme heat events when they occur. Data from sensors is anonymously displayed in the BC HEAT dashboard according to participants nearest city or town. 

 

 

Safeguards are in place to ensure participant privacy. Data collected for SITNet follows strict privacy practices under the B.C. Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The Act governs how information is collected, who sees it and how the information is used. 


We take the privacy and confidentiality of British Columbians seriously and have taken every precaution to ensure that SITNet data and information about participants is, safe and secure, the collection of any personal identifiers is entirely voluntary and is at the discretion of participants.

 

See the B.C. Heat Preparedness Guide for more information about how to prepare for extreme heat and safe indoor temperatures.


See the BCCDC website on preparing for extreme heat, including information on treating heat-related illnesses and heat stroke 
SOURCE: Sentinel Indoor Temperature Network (SITNet) ( )
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