Fire And Life Safety Cannot Be Ignored

Fire and life safety is not a commodity. It is also commonly not on the forefront of people’s mind because it is easily misunderstood. It can also be confusing when trying to become compliant with local fire codes and requirements.

Some companies focus more on fire safety if their insurance provider audits regularly or if they have more of a potential for fire hazards. This would include areas based on what they are producing whether it be chemicals, sawdust, or highly flammable products.

Life safety systems can include Fire Sprinkler systems, Fire Alarm systems, Fire Pumps, Fire Extinguishers, Alarm Monitoring, and Kitchen Hoods. They are installed to protect people, products, and buildings and are not installed to be considered a nuisance.

Some people think water damage when they think of fire sprinkler systems and they might think fire alarms are loud and frustrating. They are installed for emergency situations to contain/extinguish a fire and to notify you there is an emergency situation.
Fire Sprinkler Systems

National Fire Protection Association, (NFPA) is the standard to which fire protection companies and government entities install, inspect, and test fire protection systems. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is a global nonprofit organization, established in 1896, devoted to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards.

According to stats provided by NFPA, in 2016 there were 1,342,000 fires that were reported resulting in 3,390 civilian fire deaths, and 14,650 civilian fire injuries. This resulted in $10.6 billion in property damage and a fire department that was responding every 24 seconds. These statistics should be eye opening for facility managers, property managers, or anyone concerned with fire protection. Fires do not discriminate against people or properties.

If you are responsible for the livelihood of people and the life safety systems at your property, challenge yourself to view fire protection differently than you do now. Fire and life safety is not a commodity, it saves lives and prevents properties from being destroyed.

Become very familiar with your life safety systems and understand how they operate so you are more prepared in the future. Equally important is the test, inspection and maintenance of your fire protection system.