Emergency System Maintenance

Keeping your emergency fire systems maintained is an essential part of making sure that your building is ready for an emergency. Basic maintenance includes regular inspection of things like your automatic alarm bell network and fire extinguishers. It also includes updating your fire plan as needed and ensuring that all escape routes are clear of blockages and debris. By taking these basic but essential steps, you can ensure that the people in your building remain safe, no matter what might happen.

Proper Extinguisher Identification

You should make sure to tag fire extinguishers in a clear way, especially if you have multiple types of extinguishers on site. Every extinguisher in your building should be marked with fire extinguisher tags to let users know when the equipment was last inspected and whether it was ever used. These tags are often connected by wires to the handles, making them easy to read before use. If you have multiple types of fire extinguishers on site, such as a class ABC extinguisher for fires caused by typical household flammables and a class K extinguisher for commercial cooking fires, you should make sure that their respective cabinets are marked with bright signage and that everybody is trained in which extinguisher to use for which occasion. This prevents accidents involving the wrong tool used at the wrong time.

Automatic Alarm Bells

A fire alarm can take many forms, from a simple smoke detector to a class analog fire bell. Automatic alarm bells digitize the alarm system, allowing you to set the sound and specifics of the alarm that works best for the building. You should always make sure that the automatic alarm bell has a battery backup and that the battery is in good repair. Some fires can cause power loss to a building, which would render alarms that are wired into the main power grid useless. By supporting a battery backup, an alarm bell can remain securely tied to the grid in most circumstances while still functioning appropriately if something happens to kill power. You essentially get the best of both worlds.

Fire Extinguisher Signage

Your fire safety plan should include extinguishers at multiple points in the building, but not all extinguishers are easily recognizable at a glance. If you have a fire extinguisher cabinet in a recessed part of the wall or around a corner, somebody in a panic might not be able to see where the equipment is. By putting signage in place that can be visible even in the thick of a cloud of smoke, you can protect these individuals. If it doesn’t obstruct foot traffic, consider setting up signage that protrudes slightly from the wall, allowing people to see it from around a corner before they are right on top of the extinguisher cabinet.

When you envision your fire safety plan, consider how the building might look in the thick of an ongoing fire. This will allow you to figure out how to properly mark extinguishers, place emergency signage, and set an automatic alarm bell that will notify everybody when danger is about.