What Property Managers of Large Commercial Buildings Should Know About Fire Safety

Some types of commercial and public use properties are highly vulnerable to the risk of fire. Hotels, motels, hospitals and offices account for a large number of fires each year, causing injuries as well as loss of life and property. Warehouses and data centers also fall in the high risk category, with the potential for property loss and damage worth millions of dollars in case of fire. Property managers and owners should be aware of the risks as well as the steps they can take to minimize the risk of fire and damage. A combination of sprinklers, fire alarms and fire suppression systems along with regular fire alarm maintenance can keep buildings and their inhabitants safe.

What property managers should know about fire prevention
Some types of buildings are at higher risk of fires. Commercial and public use buildings like hotels angels, hospitals, and offices are high risks for fires. Similarly, warehouses and data centers are at risk for fires that can cause property loss and damage. Hotel and motel fires alone account for around 15 deaths and 150 injuries each year.
Property managers and owners should be aware that they can take steps to prevent fires and to minimize damage in case one does happen. Professional fire protection services can provide advice on different types of fire protection. These should include a combination of fire alarms, fire sprinkler systems, and fire suppression systems. They can also offer regular fire alarm maintenance services. Taken all together, these measures can prevent or minimize the impact of a fire.

Different types of fire prevention systems
Fire prevention and safety are important concerns for property owners and managers. Commercial businesses, multistoried buildings like hotels and hospitals, data centers and warehouses all should have a fire prevention and safety plan in place. These should account for the specific risks of each type of building.
As well as different types of prevention, warning and suppression systems, all buildings should follow a regular schedule of inspections and fire alarm maintenance by a professional fire protection services company. Together these form an effective system of fire prevention and minimization. With automatic sprinklers, fire alarm systems, and early warning systems, injuries, loss of life, and property damage can be reduced by at least 50%.

Fire safety in hospitals and warehouses
Hospitals and warehouses are high risk buildings. In hospitals, the risk of electrical and cooking fires is the highest. Data centers too are high risk buildings with the potential for serious property loss and damage in case of a fire. In data centers, property damage can also be caused by smoke as well as fire and water. This is why small data centers in the U.S., defined as those less than 2,500 square feet in size, are required to install the Early Warning Fire Detection (EWFD) system.
With the appropriate precautions, the total number of warehouse fires has dropped over the years. In the thirty years from 1980 to 2011, the number of warehouse fires has dropped from 4,700 to 1,200. Warehouse fires carry the potential for the greatest property losses.

Property managers of large commercial companies should develop fire prevention and safety plans with a professional fire protection company. This can include a combination of alarms, early warning systems, and fire sprinkler systems. Regular inspections and fire alarm maintenance can help to save lives and prevent property damage.