It’s important for all commercial and residential buildings to contain both fire alarm systems and automatic sprinklers. When a combination of these systems are used, there is an increased chance that injuries, fatalities, and property damage can be greatly reduced. Recent data shows that this can be as much as 50% or more.
While non-structural and structural fires can occur in a variety of situations, high-rise fires are particularly challenging. Apartment buildings, hotels, offices, and medical facilities are all types of high-rise properties that can experience fires. Non-confined fires in hospitals are often due to electrical malfunctions. These account for about 19% of the fires that occur in these types of facilities. Hotel and motel fires, for example, occur every year. As a result, approximately 150 people sustain injuries and 15 people lose their lives.
When early warning and extinguishing systems don’t function properly, it is usually due to a lack of regular maintenance. Investigations have shown that approximately 44% of dry or possible wet chemical system failures occurred for this reason. When these systems are well-maintained, however, they have operated effectively in 81% of the situations where a structural fire was large enough to activate the equipment.
When surfaces are burning, or there is an open flame, most of these types of fires will extinguish when the CO2 air concentration reaches 20%. In some of these situations, the fires will be extinguished with a lower CO2 concentration in the air. It’s important to note that commercial buildings that utilize non-chemical suppression systems have also been effective in addressing fires. Those establishments with large oven ranges, for instance, have noted that these systems have operated 96% of the time when needed.
If a building houses a small data center that is below 2,500 square feet, early warning fire detection systems are required. Whether these centers house patient or other types of data, protecting this information is essential for security and other purposes.
There are different types of fire protection services available. When you contact a fire alarm service, a representative will be able to discuss these with you in detail. As previously stated, it’s recommended to have both fire alarm systems and sprinkler systems installed in buildings to protect workers and visitors from injuries and fatalities. Furthermore, these can also reduce property loss, which is another reason to have proper equipment and regular maintenance.