5 Reasons You Need a Fire Protection System

Fire protection systems are among the most important and reliable assets a business owner or homeowner can purchase. A majority of fire occurrences are unintentional and therefore cannot be planned.  The ideal solution for human safety is to be prepared by installing fire protection systems.

According to the NFPA, “Fire sprinklers are effective at controlling 96% of fires in which they operated.”

When Are Fire Protection Systems Required?

Local, state and federal regulations often dictate that fire systems be installed. In addition to that, insurance companies require the installation of fire systems in exchange for certain rates and coverage.

Early Detection of Smoke and Fire

With the proper installation of fire alarm equipment and sprinkler systems, the presence of smoke and heat can be detected early. It is this early detection that provides the needed warning to the occupants to find an exit route and get outside of the building to safety. When combined with a monitoring service to a central station, the local fire department can be promptly notified and dispatched to your location to investigate and take necessary actions.

Contain the Spread of a Fire

Smoke and Heat detectors are vitally important in detecting the early stages of a possible fire.  With audible signals and strobes installed, occupants can be notified of an emergency allowing for a quick and safe exit from the building. On their own, detectors cannot help extinguish the fire. With the addition of an adequate fire sprinkler system, these fires can be contained, suppressed, and even extinguished in order to help keep the loss of property and products to a minimum and ultimately save people’s lives.

Protect Assets From Fire Damage

There are a variety of fire suppression systems that can be installed to custom fit your space. These systems provide reliable protection for products and costly equipment from being damaged or even destroyed by fire, thus ensuring the protection of valuable assets. If your facility contains sensitive equipment such as computer hardware, state of the art servers, or medical and surgical equipment, then it is essential that it be protected.  This equipment is often protected by water-free systems using a gas.  Regardless of what equipment you have in your space, you spent a lot of money and time to get it there, so it’s worth protecting it from being damaged or consumed by a fire.

Keep Your Facility Operational

Fires that take place in a building that does not have a fire protection system can end with closing their doors temporarily if not permanently depending on the damage. Lost time, lost income and lost equipment can be the result. With the installation of a fire protection system, losses are diminished, and the amount of downtime is reduced. In many cases where the fire set off a sprinkler system and is extinguished quickly, the system can typically be reset and back in service within a few hours, allowing your company to immediately resume production again. This can allow the occupants of a high-rise apartment building or school dormitory to return to sleep in their own beds that same night after the fire occurred.  It is not only peace of mind these systems offer, but also the ability to quickly return to normal life.

Faster Than the Fire Department

A fire alarm system will often alert people to get to safety.  When properly monitored, notification will be sent to the fire department.  However, it still takes on average 5-10 minutes for the fire department to be dispatched and arrive onsite to begin fighting the fire. When they do arrive, if there is an active fire, they will dispense about 125 GPM (gallons per minute) into the space to extinguish the fire.  Each fire sprinkler head will dispense on average approximately 1/5th of that amount, resulting in less clean up and water damage.

In cases of an event with a small fire in facilities that are protected by a fire sprinkler system, the heat from the fire activates the sprinkler head located nearest the heat source. Water will travel through the piping system and dispense through the sprinkler head directly onto the fire.  Typically these fires are extinguished within a few minutes.

Whether you are installing a fire suppression system because it is required by code, recommended by insurance providers, or a proactive decision to protect people and property, fire protection systems are the best investment a building owner can make to prevent a fire catastrophe from occurring.


Source: https://oliverfps.com/reasons-why-a-fire-protection-system-is-important/

Sep 14, 2021 | Company News

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