Hotels, Motels, Data Centers And Hospitals The Highest Risk For Fire In America

Fire is a common daily hazard. It can erupt at a moment’s notice, putting the lives of people in jeopardy and risking thousands, even millions, in property damage. A major concern of property management, be it the oversight of a data center or hotel, is to reduce the risk of fire and keep employees and customers alike safe from harm. Modern fire technology is not just dedicated toward eliminating fires, but detecting them before they even start. An up-to-date and properly installed fire alarm system can make sure a potential fire is stopped before it’s even started.

High-Risk Locations

Is your property a high-risk location? Studies have shown hotel and motel fires result in nearly $76 million in property loss on a yearly basis, with common factors including poor ventilation and a lack of proper fire detection technology available. Warehouse fires are associated with higher than average property losses per fire than most occupied areas, though they also have lower than average rate of injury due to their smaller workforces. While fires in warehouse properties have declined noticeably over the past 30 years — from 4,700 in 1080 to 1,200 in 2011 — high-rise fires are still one of the most common issues. Additional locations include hospitals, data centers and condos.

Hazardous Behaviors

Small, everyday actions can be taken to reduce the risk of small to large fires in commercial areas. Ash trays need to be regularly accessible, as well as regularly cleaned out, to avoid cigarette butts tossed on grass, wood or anything potentially flammable. Proper ventilation is necessary to filter out harmful smoke and ranges from large windows to high-quality air-conditioning services. Last, but not least, fire inspection services are necessary to assess the risk of your location and whether or not it needs a technological upgrade to remain safe. This can include a fire alarm installation.

Fire Prevention

Unfortunately, there are still too many locations that are not properly equipped for a potential fire. A survey of 119 businesses saw only 35% having any sort of fire evacuation plan in place — that of which can include accessible doors and easy-to-follow lists — and critical businesses, such as global data centers, are still some of the highest-risk locations for such occurrences. Fire detection has a larger impact on a broader range of fire scenarios, provided there are on-site and trained personnel. A fire needs to be detected within minutes to stave off injury and property damage.

Installing A Fire Alarm System

Fire alarm services can detect whether or not your fire alarm system is sufficient enough to prevent a fire. For rooms that are below 2,500 square feet — such as small data centers — the Early Warning Fire Detection (shortened to EWFD) is required to maintain constant safety. The minimum requirements for the protection of IT equipment as well as equipment areas from damage involve reducing smoke corrosion, heat and water exposure. Studies have shown nearly half of dry (and, even in some cases, wet) chemical system failures were due to lack of maintenance. Don’t put your establishment at risk. Call a fire alarm repair service today.