No matter what kind of business you run, you need to think about fire protection services. The more customers you have in your building at one time, the more important a fire protection system is. Fires can be extremely damaging to your property, and may cause injury to your customers. In fact, about 15 people die and 150 are injured every year because of hotel and motel fires. Incidents like this could leave your property destroyed and leave your business open to a serious lawsuit.
Here are five steps every business owner needs to take in order to avoid damage from fires:
1. Install A Fire Alarm System
A fire alarm system is a basic necessity. If your building is equipped with a good alarm system, everyone in the building should be able to escape safely, should there be a fire. An alarm system will also minimize the damage to the building. Fires have four stages: incipient, growth, full developed, and decay. The incipient stage is when the fire first ignites. If the fire department is notified of the fire 10 minutes before the end of the incipient stage, they should be able to minimize the damage that the fire causes. This means you will have to pay minimal money for repairs.
2. Make An Evacuation Plan
A fire alarm system is only helpful to your customers if they know how to evacuate the building. An evacuation plan is something that businesses often overlook. In fact, one study found that only 35 percent of businesses actually had an evacuation plan. Make sure that your staff are well-trained, so they know what to do in case of a fire. If you are running a business like a hotel which houses a large number of people at one time, make sure that all the people in your building know the safest way to evacuate in an emergency.
3. Install a Fire Sprinkler System
A fire sprinkler system can put out a fire before the fire department even arrives on scene. This will spare your building the damage that a fire hose could cause. Even if sprinklers do not extinguish the fire, they can prevent the fire from growing until the fire department arrives. Sprinklers significantly decrease the likelihood of casualties from fires. In fact, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) says there have never been more than two fatalities from a fire in a building which was covered by sprinklers.
4. Take Extra Precautions In Your Kitchen
Fifty-five percent of the fires which occur in medical facilities are cooking fires. Of course, fires can also occur in hotel kitchens. Make sure that all your kitchen staff knows what to do in the event of a fire. Take extra precautions to ensure that your sprinkler system could handle a fire in the kitchen.
5. Check and Repair Your Fire Systems Regularly
Do regular checks to make sure your fire prevention systems are working properly. Any company that provides fire protection services should also provide fire alarm and fire sprinkler repair. No system lasts forever, so you need to take care to repair and replace damaged equipment when necessary.
Fire protection services can be the difference between 0 casualties and only $1,000 worth of damage, and 50 casualties and millions of dollars worth of damage. The key to keeping your business and your customers safe is to always be prepared. Find a commercial fire protection service which can provide you with top-of-the-line equipment. Give yourself the peace of mind that your building is safe.