PRESS RELEASE
Calgary, Alberta — November 14, 2025C5 Plus Launches HB SmokeReady™ — The First ASHRAE-Based Wildfire Smoke Readiness System for Commercial and Institutional Facilities
C5 Plus today announced the launch of HB SmokeReady™, a new module within the Healthy Buildings Performance Platform™ (HBPP™) and the first ASHRAE 44-2024 based system for wildfire smoke readiness in commercial and institutional facilities.
With wildfire smoke now a predictable annual hazard, property managers, operations teams, and ESG professionals face unprecedented challenges in protecting occupants from elevated PM2.5 levels. HB SmokeReady provides the clarity and structure needed to move from scattered advice to reliable readiness.
“The science is clear,” said Dr. John Dean, Principal Scientist at C5 Plus. “High PM2.5 levels during wildfire smoke events create both immediate and long-term health risks. Building operators and property managers need more than general guidance — they need a practical, evidence-based system they can rely on.”
Wildfire smoke disproportionately affects individuals with asthma, COPD, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, older adults, pregnant people, and children. Yet most commercial facilities lack coherent procedures, PM2.5 baselines, readiness modes, or clear communication protocols. Common reactive tactics — such as closing outdoor-air dampers — can actually worsen indoor particulate exposure and increase risk for vulnerable occupants.
Technology-Integrated Readiness: HBPP and HB Pulse™
HB SmokeReady™ is tightly integrated into the Healthy Buildings Performance Platform, including HB Pulse, the platform’s real-time indoor air monitoring and analytics module. HB Pulse provides building-specific PM2.5 baselines and live exposure data, enabling property managers, sustainability leaders, and facility teams to verify indoor conditions, activate readiness modes, and document on-event responses with precision.
Unlike traditional consulting reports or standalone guidance documents, HB SmokeReady leverages HBPP’s technology infrastructure to ensure that every step — from baseline measurements to smoke-event actions — is documented, traceable, and repeatable across an entire portfolio. In addition, HB SmokeReady incorporates building-specific predictive modelling that forecasts indoor PM2.5 levels based on outdoor conditions, giving operators advance insight into when their building is likely to exceed key exposure thresholds. The AI model continuously improves its predictive accuracy as it processes additional smoke-event data.
A Comprehensive Wildfire Smoke Readiness System
HB SmokeReady delivers a structured and implementable wildfire smoke readiness system, including: building-specific readiness modes; PM2.5 baseline assessments and trends; filtration and ventilation readiness guidance; exposure reduction procedures for smoke events; communication templates for tenants, staff, and vulnerable populations; portfolio-level readiness planning for multi-site operators; training for property management, operations, and ESG teams.
“Wildfire smoke has become one of the fastest-emerging building-health challenges in Canada,” said Curt LaMontagne, Principal Consultant at C5 Plus. “Doing nothing isn’t neutral. If you don’t have a wildfire smoke readiness system, you are choosing preventable PM2.5 exposure. HB SmokeReady turns ASHRAE’s guidance into real-world action.”
A New Duty of Care for Commercial and Institutional Facilities
Because wildfire smoke exposure is measurable, harmful, and preventable, building owners and employers face growing expectations around occupant protection. HB SmokeReady gives organizations a practical, science-based approach to meeting this emerging duty of care — and to demonstrating responsible preparation before smoke season begins.
National Rollout Begins January 2026
HB SmokeReady will launch through a series of seminars, workshops, and training programs beginning January 2026 in Calgary, followed by sessions in Vancouver, Edmonton, and other Canadian cities. Virtual offerings will be available for national portfolios and remote teams. C5 Plus is coordinating with public-health and environmental-exposure specialists to ensure alignment with current best practices.
About the Healthy Buildings Performance Platform (HBPP)
The Healthy Buildings Performance Platform is an integrated suite of modules — including HB FieldOps™, HB Project Manager™, HB SmartScore™, HB Pulse™, and HB SmokeReady™ — designed to support portfolio-level environmental performance, risk management, and operational readiness across air quality, radon, water, wildfire smoke, and other building-health domains.
About C5 Plus
C5 Plus is a Calgary-based environmental consulting and building-health technology firm focused on helping portfolios manage indoor environmental quality, occupant exposure, and operational readiness. Founded in 1995, the firm integrates scientific assessment, real-time monitoring, and data-driven management systems to support healthier, more resilient buildings. C5 Plus developed the Healthy Buildings Performance Platform (HBPP), a comprehensive integrated framework for managing and communicating building-health performance across a wide range of environmental and operational domains.
Media Contact
Curt LaMontagnePrincipal Consultant, C5 Plus
Email: curt.lamontagne@c5plus.com
Phone: +1 403 215 0040
Website: www.c5plus.com
