Tips for a Developing Fire and Life Safety Program

Having years of experience in commercial fire systems, we’ve seen many ways businesses have or have not implemented an actual protocol for use in their fire and life safety plans. If we could offer one top tip, it’s that great fire and life protection isn’t just having the right tools such as fire alarms and sprinklers in place. Just as critical is having the right program in place to implement and execute your security strategy. Why? Because it is impossible to respond to an emergency optimally with even the most appropriate and sophisticated tools without the right plan. A fire and life safety program is the framework that helps ensure comprehensive coverage and system execution. It takes both to save lives and property.

Check out these top tips for developing your Fire and Life Safety Program.

Follow Local Codes

No matter where you are, there are rules, or codes, that govern your fire alarm and fire sprinkler systems. An experienced fire systems professional will know local, state, and national codes and will be able to provide pertinent information. However, it is important to know them well yourself, and know if there are any changes to the codes in the future.

Assess and Evaluate

Form a team to thoroughly assess every aspect of your facility from structure to usage. For example, do you have a commercial kitchen? Do you use combustible materials or have a data center? What type of building occupants are present? Is your facility in use around the clock? What is the flow of traffic? Are exits easily accessible? The specific needs of your facility determine your system and the foundation of your plan.

Have a Fire and Life Safety System Professionally Designed and Installed

Once your needs are determined, have a professional design a system that can meet your needs specifically and provide detailed information about how the system works and works in your space.

Provide Proper Training

It is important to have many people in place that are trained to help execute your fire and life safety plan. Remember, not every trained person will be at a facility at the same time, so train enough individuals to cover every shift. Also, train all employees on how to respond in an emergency.

Prepare an Evacuation Plan

In an emergency, often getting out of the building is the priority. In addition to using posted building maps and lighted exit signs, prepare and regularly practice an emergency evacuation plan with your building/business occupants. The more a plan is practiced, the more quickly and safely it can be executed in an emergency.

If you have any questions about fire and life safety system technologies, please contact us today! We’ve been building 24 Peace of Mind in our communities since 1971!