It only takes a single spark to start a fire.
Preventing a fire isn’t just a single act. It’s an ongoing action you need to commit to each and every time you go home, head out on the road and clock onto your shift. Keeping everyone safe can be as simple as double-checking your kitchen stove and as complex as calling a professional to provide you a routine fire alarm installation service. No matter what you do, rest easy knowing you’re drastically reducing the incident of high-rise fires in your place of business. Here’s what you should know about fire safety today and the resources available to you.
Fire alarm installations are one of the most common ways of preventing fires today. That doesn’t make them the only available resource, but rather a highly efficient way of alerting everyone in the vicinity to a potential high-rise fire. The best fire alarm, however, is one that is constantly double-checked and maintained throughout the year. Fire alarms, just like any other form of electronic equipment, can malfunction, break or run out of power. The last thing you want during a fire is to lack the ability to warn people in the area and reach out to fire protection services in time.
Some areas are at higher risk for fire than others. The four property classes for high-rise fires are apartments, hotels, motels and facilities that house the sick. These include hospitals, clinics and retirement homes. Warehouse properties used to be considered a high-risk area for the high volume of items and poor ventilation, but recent statistics have painted another picture. Studies have shown fires in warehouse properties declining substantially over the past few decades. Back in 1980 there were a reported 4,500, while 2011 saw just over 1,000.
A particularly volatile form of high-rise fire involves dry or wet chemical systems. A recent study found predominantly dry, and occasionally wet, chemical systems operating in over 80% of reported structure fires large enough to activate operational equipment. Chemical systems require the majority of surface burning and open flaming to stop when the concentration of C02 in the air reaches 20% or less, but the superior option is to make sure this doesn’t happen in the first place. This is necessary to not just save property, but save lives.
The Orlando Fire Department responded to nearly 50,000 calls back in 2013 alone, with over 900 being fire related. As you can imagine, these high rates all across the country are even more incentive to take action. Although fires in warehouse properties have declined, some areas are still considered high-risk and need to take extra measures with the aid of fire alarm repair services and various fire protection services. Electrical malfunction was to blame for nearly 20% of non-confined fires in hospitals. With the aid of a fire alarm installation service you can have the peace-of-mind knowing you have an important element on standby at all times.
The first step you need to take is reaching out to fire alarm services and asking about which model suits your building best. A fire alarm installation service for a motel, for example, may have different requirements than a fire alarm for a data center. Small data centers that are below 2,500 square feet, for example, are required to have an Early Warning Fire Detection system to be kept up to code. If you already have a fire alarm in place but haven’t had it looked at by a professional this year, call your local fire protection company and ask for a quick check-up to make sure it’s good to go.
With a proactive attitude we can prevent fires, save money and keep people safe. Call a fire alarm installation service and don’t leave your livelihood up to chance.