Does your company have a fire safety protocol? In other words, do you know what you’re supposed to when a fire starts? How will you know if there even is a fire? In emergencies such as this, it’s imperative to have a mass notification system that works as it’s supposed to; at the same time, however, you must ensure the safety of everyone who is already in the building.
The Fire Alarm Panel
Without the fire alarm panel, dealing with fires will be much more difficult. There are some simple fire safety measures that employees can take, such as turning off their computers at the end of the day, and monitoring any heating elements they might use in the kitchen, and avoiding the use of candles in the office. However, these aren’t the only causes of a fire that could affect an office building. The panel can track the status of all the fire protection equipment in your building, and if necessary, sound the fire alarm if a fire should start.
Notification Systems
However, an emergency won’t always conveniently happen during business hours. It’s entirely possible that a fire could break out while your employees are gone for the night or over the weekend. That’s why having a functional notification system is so crucial. You need to be able to alert any employees and visitors who are in the building right now, and those who haven’t come in yet. Horns and strobe lights may be loud and could startle anyone too close to them when activated, but that is by design because getting trapped in a fire could be much worse. If everyone is to evacuate safely in time, then the systems need to activate.
Activation Methods
Sometimes, you will see different activation methods for fire protection systems. Two of the most common are known as manual and automatic. The manual techniques involve pulling a fire alarm lever or breaking through a glass box to push a button. However, smoke detectors and heat sensors are often configured to work with automatic fire protection systems, which will sound the alarm when they sense that a fire is about to begin or one has ignited.
Power Sources
Electrical problems can be the source of a fire in your office, even if it doesn’t affect the rest of the building. If so, where will you get your power? Fortunately, the systems are connected to a specially-dedicated circuit which is overseen by your power supplier. Secondary sources, such as battery power, are also available and are essential parts of your fire suppression systems.
Fire Suppression Systems
Whether it is an ordinary fire extinguisher or something more exotic, such as a clean agent fire suppression system, these measures are critical parts of keeping everyone and everything safe during a fire, helping to contain the flames until the authorities can arrive to extinguish the fire and assess the damage done.
Trust the Professionals at ARK Systems
Located in Columbia, Maryland, ARK Systems provides unsurpassed quality and excellence in the security industry, from system design through to installation. We handle all aspects of security with local and remote locations. With over 30 years in the industry, ARK Systems is an experienced security contractor. Trust ARK to handle your most sensitive data storage, surveillance, and security solutions.
Contact ARK Systems at 1-800-995-0189 or click here today. Check us out on Facebook and Twitter as well!