FAQ's

There are two major types of fire alarms: ionization fire alarms and photoelectric fire alarms. Ionization fire alarms detect flaming, fast moving fires – curtain fires, trash can fires, etc. Photoelectric fire alarms are best for smoky, smoldering fires, such as electrical fires that start out behind walls. There are also dual sensor fire alarms which, naturally, combine both types into one. To maximize your fire protection, you should install both types (or a combination of the two) to make sure you are completely covered.

Conventional fire alarms are ideal for small buildings such as homes, individual offices, or retail shops. Conventional fire alarms go off when they detect smoke in their immediate vicinity and are perfect for evacuating people from a small space.

Addressable fire alarms are more useful for large buildings or building complexes. The biggest difference between addressable and conventional fire alarm systems is addressable fire alarms have an enunciator panel that shows you (or, more importantly, the fire department) exactly which devices are going off so you can get the proper resources to them as quickly as possible.

Fire alarm monitoring is basically a guarantee your building has eyes on it 24/7, keeping it protected from fires at all times. If the fire alarms go off in your building, the fire alarm monitoring company will notify the fire department within seconds – even if you’re not there, or if you’re in the process of safely evacuating. Everyone has heard horror stories of people showing up to work and seeing the charred wreckage of what was once their office (and all their equipment, data, etc.) – don’t let this happen to you!

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), buildings with a working fire sprinkler system see an average property loss and risk of death per fire that is 50 to 66 percent lower than buildings without sprinkler systems. Broken down by industry, civilian deaths in sprinklered buildings between 1989 and 1998 were reduced by:

• 60 percent for manufacturing properties
• 74 percent for stores and offices
• 75 percent for nursing homes
• 91 percent for hotels and motels

Do:

• Test your fire sprinkler system monthly by opening the test valve and listening for an alarm bell.
• Know the location of the fire sprinkler system shutoff valve.
• Make sure the fire sprinkler system control valve stays open.
• Have your system reevaluated for needed upgrades when:
• Leave the building and contact the fire department as soon as possible after the fire sprinklers go off, even if it looks like the fire has already been put out.

Don’t:

• Paint the sprinklers.
• Damage sprinklers (report any damage immediately).
• Hang objects from any part of the system.
• Obstruct or cover the sprinklers.

No – like we said above, fire sprinklers are only activated by heat only, which means smoke will never set them off.

There are many types of fire extinguisher because there are many different types of fire. Each extinguisher is designed to be used on a specific class of fire. It is important to use the right extinguisher to ensure that your actions are as effective as possible and don’t further ignite the fire.

There aren’t any all-purpose fire extinguishers yet however, dry chemical extinguishers can be used on the majority of fires with a few exceptions.

Using the wrong extinguisher could make matters worse; water on an oil/electric fire would cause the fire to get bigger. It’s safer to make sure you use the correct one.