Commercial

Understanding How a Fire Protection System Functions

It is important to understand the functionality of fire protection systems. Systems work in different ways, but all have a common goal to detect a fire and protect the building, its occupants, and valuables. A common fire protection system is a smoke detector and a sprinkler.

Benefits of Fire Protection Systems

One of the main benefits of a fire protection system is that in the long run, it saves money. Think of a business and what investments are made in manufacturing equipment, information technology hardware, and infrastructure. If a fire impacts operation for a significant period of time, it could cost a company millions of dollars.

Another benefit of some types of fire protection systems is the automatic dispatching of emergency services. These systems will work to immediately suppress the fire, while also notifying the authorities to send emergency professionals to your location.

Determining the Appropriate Fire Protection System

How do you go about determining the best system for your business? You must consider the facility you are protecting, compliance with building codes, and potential insurance requirements.  Because many fire protection systems are permanent, it may be important to think about your facility’s future needs, not just its current needs. For example: if you are protecting a server room and expect to add more servers as time goes on, can you add onto the system?

Active vs. Passive Fire Protection

Fire protection can be active or passive. When a building is under construction, the contractor and architect can incorporate passive fire protection, such as fire doors and fire escapes. Passive fire protection may also refer to the use of non-flammable materials during construction. By contrast, active fire protection means using a system that reacts in case of a fire. Examples of active fire protection include sprinkler systems and special hazard fire suppression systems.