The National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) reported in 2021 that local fire departments responded to an estimated 1.35 million fires in the U.S. Without the proper fire protection systems, every building across the country is at risk of catching fire. Most commercial buildings have smoke alarms and fire extinguishers, which the law requires. These systems help control a flame. However, the best way to save your building is to have professionals install your custom fire alarm system. Here is why customized fire alarm systems are critical to your overall fire protection.
Fire alarm systems are critical for the security of a commercial building.
What is a Customized Fire Alarm System?
Understanding the difference between a generic and custom fire alarm setup for commercial buildings is helpful. A traditional box-store fire alarm setup usually includes fire alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, and fire extinguishers. You can purchase these devices through many suppliers.
However, this doesn’t mean that these will be cohesive systems. Your building might become vulnerable if the fire detection and alarm system are not operating correctly. Chesapeake Sprinkler’s team of experts can design a custom fire alarm system for your building to ensure that every crevice has protection.
A Custom Fire Alarm System Addresses Your Business Needs
Fire and smoke detectors must cover the entire square foot of your building to protect your building and trigger the alarms. Fire alarms you can purchase at stores have a radius of 21 feet or 1,385 sq. feet of coverage.
The NFPA requires building owners to have fire alarms spaced and installed a maximum of 20 feet apart from each other in commercial buildings. However, some areas might consist of smaller offices, hallways, or uniquely-shaped spaces that the detectors can’t cover adequately. Larger spaces are also hard to cover as well.
Fire protection systems installed by professionals that adequately cover your entire building offer the best protection. We will measure the footage of your entire building to determine the best placement to cover each inch. If a fire starts in these spaces, it will take more time to trigger alarms. Therefore, this increases the chances of a deadly or destructive fire. Customized fire alarm systems also offer scalability, meaning that if your building’s structure changes, we can adjust the fire detection and alarm system.
Customized Fire Alarm Systems are Advanced
A custom system involves more than typical smoke detectors and alarms. Advanced fire alarm setups come equipped with the latest technology, new designs, user-friendly interfaces, and intelligent detection. These setups can include the following:
- Air sampling devices that detect contaminants such as gases, vapors, dust, and fibers
- Two-way voice service for the rescue area and elevators
- Landline and cell equipment monitoring
- Remote system access
Cheaper Maintenance Costs
A fire alarm system replacement is expensive. The system must be cohesive for adequate protection. Therefore, when a generic system no longer works, you’ll likely have to start from square one. Also, box systems don’t always come with warranties. With specialized systems, you’ll have a warranty to cover any problems with access to instant access for repairs or replacement parts. After the initial installation, our team will check the system periodically to ensure it operates efficiently. When you catch minor problems sooner rather than later, it reduces maintenance costs.
For example, if the system has a wire malfunction made evident by an inspection, the repair will be minimal. If a professional doesn’t test your fire protection systems, this could lead to system malfunctions that are more expensive to repair than minor issues.
Quicker Response Times
Not all generic fire alarm systems contact the fire department immediately when there is smoke in a building. Typically, these systems have warning alerts. However, someone will still need to call emergency services manually. While a fire sprinkler system puts out flames, it never hurts to have many ways to prevent loss of life and protect your commercial building. Specialized systems will automatically contact the local fire department if smoke or fire is in a building. This advantage lowers the chances of property damage because a firefighter will immediately show up to put out the flames. Contact Chesapeake Sprinkler to learn more about our customized fire alarm systems and have us install one.
Contact Chesapeake Sprinkler Company Today!
Chesapeake Sprinkler Company is a leading fire sprinkler contractor in the region, now a member of the Century Fire Protection family. As a full-service fire protection company, we offer design, fabrication, installation, testing, maintenance, and inspection of fire protection systems. Everything you need from your fire suppression specialist.
For more information, please email or call our Odenton location at 410-674-7041, our Ashburn location at 703-729-5150, or for service/maintenance at 410-674-7577. For emergencies, call 800-298-3473 (FIRE). Feel free to keep in touch through Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn!