Contractor Tips Blog

Sep
27

Test Your Fire Alarms Regularly

Fire and smoke alarms are one of the most important tools in keeping you safe and secure in your work environment. In fact, it’s been shown that a working fire alarm could prevent many of the 3,500 deaths suffered by Americans who are killed by fire or smoke inhalation every year.

Here are six great reasons that you should have your fire alarms inspected and tested regularly:

  1. In order to meet the requirements of your local fire inspectors, or local building department or possibly your insurance provider
  2. People’s lives are on the line, a fire alarm can only save lives if it’s working and many faults aren’t obviously apparent without testing
  3. To reduce or limit your possible liabilities to others including but not limited to employees, tenants and guests
  4. It’s possible that your insurance provider won’t pay out on your policy unless you can prove your fire alarms were tested recently and were found to be working properly
  5. So that you don’t cause work unnecessarily for your local fire department, who don’t need to be called out to a false alarm and don’t forget when this happens it diverts resources away from others who may really need help
  6. And importantly for business owners it’s the law – and that means it’s required by the National Fire Alarm Code in section NFPA72

So don’t let your home or business become a fire risk when you can have a qualified fire alarm inspection and testing professional visit and make sure all your equipment is in top working condition.

 

Mar
19

Fire Alarm Repairs

Posted in Home Security

If you are a homeowner, own or operate a business, or you own or lease a building and have invested in a fire alarm system, it is very important to keep it in good operating condition.  A fire alarm that does not function properly puts your family, employees, customers, and property at risk.  Avoid an unnecessary tragedy by keeping your fire alarm in good repair.

In addition, a fire alarm that malfunctions frequently can lead to complacency.  A fire alarm that gives frequent false alarms is almost as dangerous as a fire alarm that does not work at all.  Just like the boy who cried wolf, if a true emergency arises there is an increased risk that your family, employees and others will assume that the alarm is just another false alarm.   Frequent false alarms also cause lost work hours and negatively affects productivity.

Ignoring known issues with your fire alarms system not only endangers your family, employees and customers, but there is potential for exposure to not only civil liabilities but criminal penalties as well.  Also, your insurance coverage could be affected by any failure to have your fire alarm repaired as quickly as possible.

Regular service and repair of your fire alarm system should be part of the routine maintenance schedule.  Never attempt to repair or service your fire alarm system yourself.  This could invalidate any warranty and could result in an unreliable fire alarm system.  You should have any necessary fire alarm repairs and service performed by a trained fire alarm technician who has experience on your system.  Even the most basic fire alarm systems are complicated and require special skills.

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