When you are a property manager, whether it’s for a condominium complex or another type of commercial business, you know the importance of receiving regular fire inspection and prevention services. Fire protection companies offer these and other services in order to assist you with reducing injuries, saving lives, and minimizing property damage.

The Benefits of Fire Sprinklers and Early Warning Systems

It’s been demonstrated that overall injuries, fatalities, and property damage can be reduced by a minimum of 50% in buildings with a combination of automatic sprinklers and early warning systems. When a study of fires was conducted, it was found that when fires were of a sufficient size to activate these systems, the sprinklers operated in 91% of building fires. This does, however, exclude buildings that were under construction or didn’t have sprinklers in areas where fires occurred.

The National Fire Protection Association reported that when sprinkler systems are installed throughout a building, and when these systems are operating properly, there has been no record of more than 2 fatalities occurring. This data points to how fire alarm systems do make a difference. As a result, it’s important to utilize fire protection services on a regular basis to provide routine inspections and maintenance when needed.

Fire Detection, Quick-Response Sprinklers, and Damage Control

When a fire detection system provides a 10 to 15 minute warning prior to the incipient stage’s end, the fire department can usually minimize any damage. This is regardless of the fire’s location and the suppression system activation.

If quick-response sprinklers are fully-operational, they release between 8 to 24 gallons of water every minute. This is in contrast to fire hoses, which release between 80 to 125 gallons of water every minute. The use of quick response sprinklers, as opposed to fire hoses, can decrease the possibility of extensive water damage when a fire is being extinguished.

In the cases where dry or wet chemical systems were fully operational, they were effective 69% of the time. For fires that were sufficiently large to activate fire suppression systems, these were effective 55% of the time.

When buildings are being renovated, the fire department should be notified if the sprinkler or fire alarm system will be disabled for more than a limited number of hours within a 24-hour period. This is necessary in order to provide a fire watch in case an electric or other type of fire occurs on the premises.

Fire Evacuation Plans and On-Site Training

It’s important to note that a recent survey with 119 businesses found that only 35% had some type of fire evacuation plan in place. Given the possibility that a fire can occur within their or a nearby building, it’s essential that all business have an effective plan. It is also important to conduct regular drills so that employees are able to respond automatically if a fire does occur.

Management should also ensure that specific personnel receive on-site training. When these individuals receive the appropriate training, they will be aware of a broad range of scenarios. This of course includes knowing when to notify the fire department for each scenario.

The Importance of Regular Maintenance

It’s been shown that when dry and/or wet chemical system failures occurred, 44% of these were the result of inadequate or a total lack of regular maintenance. If you’re not sure how often regular maintenance is needed, you can contact fire protection companies.

If you would like to learn more about the different types of fire protection services available, contact local fire protection companies for more information. Since you want to ensure the safety of your personnel and avoid property damage, fire protection companies can assist you with attaining this vital goal.