Did you know that the combination of automatic sprinklers and early warning systems, in all buildings, could result in a 50% decrease in property damage, loss of life, and overall injuries?
Functional fire alarm systems are a very important part of your physical business. Should a fire start in your building, it will be up to your fire alarm systems to save life, limb, and property for everyone inside. In urban areas, you’re not only responsible for the lives inside your building—you’re also partially responsible for the buildings around it, since a fire that starts in your building could easily spread if not controlled.
Because of this, it’s imperative that you have qualified professionals conduct fire alarm repairs and inspections on a regular basis. The most common kinds of fire alarm repairs include:
- Detecting and troubleshooting circuit board failures
- Reconnecting multiple alarms so they all sound when only one detects fire
- Replacing emergency strobe lamps
- Recalibrating smoke sensors
- Replacing speakers and other components
- Replacing corroded wiring
The following are 10 reasons why fire alarm repairs are so important for your facility or business.
1. Make Sure Your Systems Meet Fire Safety Standards
The fire alarm services can tell you when your equipment doesn’t meet fire safety code, and they will know what to do to keep your systems aligned with the code as it’s updated.
This is incredibly important for multiple reasons. First, the fire code is there to keep everybody safe, so it’s absolutely imperative that your systems are aligned to it. Second, if your building doesn’t meet fire safety standards, it could mean bad PR for your business or a hefty fine.
2. Avoid False Fire Alarms
Regular visits from fire alarm services can also help you avoid false alarms—having the fire alarm go off when there’s no fire. If you frequently experience false alarms, this is a sure sign that you need fire alarm maintenance.
False alarms can be annoying, but they can also be dangerous. If the fire department is responding to a false alarm at your building, not only will be losing time and money, but they’ll be kept away from real emergencies elsewhere (and you may also be charged fees for repeat offenses). Also, employees may stop taking the alarm system seriously if they witness multiple false alarms.
3. Keep Sensitive Fire Alarms Clean
Dust, dirt, and small particles can cause smoke detector problems. In addition to keeping your premises clean and dust-free generally, it’s important to have regular visits from fire protection services to make sure all of your equipment is still functioning optimally.
4. Maintain the Longevity of Your System
With proper maintenance, a good fire alarm system should last your building for decades.
5. Be Careful Who You Hire
Few people have the training and experience necessary to responsibly ensure that a building’s fire safety system is working. Because of this, you probably shouldn’t assign the task to your janitor. Make sure the people you hire are reputable, licensed professionals.
6. Make Sure the Fire Department is Notified When Needed
Most commercial systems should notify the local fire department automatically, so employees don’t have to call 911 themselves and can focus on making sure everyone gets out of the building safely. However, you want to be absolutely sure this feature is working if it’s installed.
7. Less Downtime, Faster Recovery, and More Savings
With fewer false alarms and sooner real ones, there will be less downtime for your business, which means you’ll lose less funds, from either fires or false alarms.
8. Save Money on Insurance
Having a code-compliant fire alarm system and having it inspected regularly can make you eligible for special discounts from your insurance agency.
In the event of a fire, your insurance agency could reject your claim if you cannot show proof of annual inspections.
9. Avoid Legal Liability for Emergency-Related Injuries
Your legal liability for injuries and deaths goes through the roof if you’ve neglected the fire alarm system in your building.
10. The Two Biggest Reasons
Number one reason for fire alarm repairs: saving lives.
Second reason: reducing property loss as much as possible in the event of a fire. The sooner you know a fire is there, the more damage can be avoided.
