Commercial Fire Alarm Mistakes To Avoid
Posted on: 26 June 2015
In the year 2013, fires caused more than 11 billion dollars in property damage. Given this figure, it's safe to say that for any business, a fire can be financially devastating. Protecting your business from a fire is crucial. The installation of a fire alarm system is one way to accomplish this; however, this statement is only true when the system is installed properly. Avoiding common installation mistakes is the best way to get the most out of your fire alarm.
Integrate Manual and Automatic Alarms
Fire alarms are available in manual and automatic alarm styles. With a manual alarm, you have to physically pull the lever to activate the system to signal that there is a fire. With an automatic alarm, the system automatically detects a fire and activates the alarm. It's best to integrate a combination of these two alarm styles throughout your business. The reason for this is that most alarm systems are designed with dead spots in mind.
Dead spots are generally areas of a structure that have a very low fire risk or that do not require fire protection based on building codes, such as a storage closet. While it would likely be overkill to install an automatic alarm system in these spaces, you still want to have some level of protection. Within these areas you should at least have a manual alarm installed.
Limited Notification Capabilities
It's imperative that you avoid fire alarm systems that have limited notification capabilities. Rule number one is to install a system that doesn't simply sound an alarm, but one that also signals the fire department directly. However, it's also important to notify management of the situation.
If you aren't using a fire alarm system that is integrated into your security system, you want to ensure that the fire alarm also allows you to designate additional notifications. For example, you could set up the system to send a notification to the general manager once the alarm has been activated and the fire department has been called. Notifications allow you to arrive on the scene and assess the damage more quickly.
Avoiding these mistakes begins with relying on the expertise of a professional security system company, like Southern Maine Cabling. Don't just work with an alarm company that installs fire protection systems, but also one that can assist you with the design process. Working with a professional will ensure you have a system that is designed to meet your specific need.
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