Every year, people and structures alike suffer the consequences of fires. These are not confined to homes alone; while hotel and motel fires result in $76 million in property loss each year, 2010 saw fire departments responding to 1,200 fires in hospitals alone. The locations of these fires is particularly alarming ? one in which large numbers of people reside, and one which the sick expect to stay safe and sound. Fire protection is an issue of utmost importance ? but how can you expect to keep people safe without good fire suppression systems? Although fire alarms can help alert people to the danger of fires, fire suppression systems go one step further, both alerting and stopping the fire at once. So: what are the options available when it comes to commercial fire suppression systems?
Commercial Fire Sprinkler Systems: Warning And Defense
The issue that fire fighters have in commercial properties like hospitals or hotels is that large numbers of people confined into tight spaces are difficult to keep safe and evacuate. The answer to this issue is a commercial fire sprinkler system. Sprinklers immediately alert any people unaware to the dangers at hand, signaling that they should evacuate as quickly as possible. At the same time, they release eight to 24 gallons of water per minute. Compare this to a to the 80 to 125 gallons a minute, and some may be confused, until they recognize that this reduces the likelihood of water damage in the case of false alarms. If combined with early warning systems, the loss of life, injury, and property damage in a fire could be reduced by at least 50%.
Automatic Extinguishing Equipment: Fighting Fires Directly
The reason why fire extinguishers are tried and true methods of commercial fire protection is that they can fight the fire at the source. A cooking fire, for example, can be kept from getting out of hand by a fire extinguisher. Furthermore, they?re easily portable and excellent for individual use. A fire extinguisher also has the advantage of being subject to the human eye ? while one has to trust that a sprinkler system has extinguished all of the fire existing, an extinguisher is handled on an individual level. Extinguishers are ultimately the most convenient method for small fires, and are handy in an emergency. The best suppression is done with both methods combined.
Early Detection Systems: The Best Step For Prevention
The fact is that Very Early Warning Fire Detection is not just an option, but a requirement in many commercial structures, so it?s crucial to remember to keep them up to date. For example, in rooms below 2,500 feet, this system is absolutely required. The fact is that the best way to prevent fires is to have early detection systems; and the best way to fight fires overall is to have some combination of prevention and suppression.
