Fire alarms are a critical way of alerting your employees, clients, customers, and neighbors of a fire somewhere within your facility.
Fire alarms are one of the most important parts of fire safety in commercial facilities. Beyond being a requirement by law, fire alarms are also a critical way of alerting your employees, clients, customers, and neighbors of a fire somewhere within your facility. Why are fire alarms so important in commercial facilities?
The Right Placement
The placement of your fire alarms is incredibly important. Smoke alarms are typically placed in hallways or stairways on each level. Fire alarms should be placed away from lights, ceiling fans, and vents, as the air flow and heat emitted could accidentally trigger the fire alarm or prevent it from going off when it should.
Testing
Beyond the right fire alarms, you need to make sure that they are in working order regularly. In your commercial facility, you should check your fire alarm system once a week. If you have a large system, you should have a professional service completed at least once a year. Your fire inspector will let you know how often the service should take place depending on how many alarms are involved in the system. Testing will involve using artificial smoke to make sure that each alarm is working properly and properly triggering others in the system.
Stick to the Plan
In addition to your commercial fire alarm system, make sure that all of your staff understand the proper fire evacuation methods in case of emergency. You should have copies of your fire emergency plan readily available and employees should be reminded of your fire safety policies at least once a year. In the event of an emergency, customers and clients will panic if there isn’t a knowledgeable staff member present to provide guidance. Have fire drills multiple times a year, with a different employee directing the flow of traffic each time.
Commercial and Residential Fire Prevention from Judd Fire Protection
If you want to ensure your home and business are safe throughout the year, trust Judd Fire Protection, LLC. We have over two decades of experience with design, installation, service, and inspection of residential and commercial fire protection systems. We service clients throughout the Maryland, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., Virginia, and West Virginia. If you are interested in finding out more about our services and protecting your home and business, give us a call at 410-871-3480 or contact us online. For more fire safety tips, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.