Best Security Products blog

The National Fire Protection Association has released a demonstration of what happens during a home fire and how smoke detectors and fire sprinklers save lives. Watch the full video here.

Here are some highlights from the video and accompanying narration.  The home does have a smoke detector, but since there are no sprinklers installed, much of the home will be destroyed before firefighters are able to get to the home and extinguish it.

You are about to witness the awesome, deadly power of a fire and the incredible speed with which a home fire can spread. This fire has been planned:  a demonstration to show you how quickly a home fire can reach the point when everything in a room combusts and no one can survive:  Flashover.

This fire begins in the living room, where many fatal house fires start:

30 seconds after the first flame, the sofa ignites.

From this point, the fire grows rapidly.  1 minute 4 seconds from the first flame, smoke begins to fill the room and then descends rapidly.  At 1 minute 35 seconds, gases flowing out of this room exceed 190 degrees Fahrenheit.

1 minute 50 seconds the smoke alarm at the foot of the stairs sounds an alarm providing a warning before exits are blocked:

2 minutes 48 seconds, smoke pours into the dining room.  Thick black smoke moves rapidly upstairs.

Before 4 minutes have passed, the temperature 3 feet above the floor in the living room is over 500 degrees Fahrenheit.  No one could survive.

Home fires are typically reported several minutes after the flames start.  Once a fire is reported, it takes time for the fire department to be notified and dispatched.

3 minutes 41 seconds, the energy in the room suddenly ignites everything.  Within 1 minute, the temperature has risen to over 1400 degrees:  Flashover!!

At this point, the firefighters are en route to the blaze.  Only 2 minutes after the smoke alarm sounded, the downstairs and upstairs hallways have become impassable.

The firefighters typically arrive about 7 minutes after a fire has been reported.

The fire grows so fast, the firefighters may not be able to rescue anyone inside:

The message is simple:  you cannot survive flashover. If a fire starts in your home, get out immediately and stay out.

Give us a call at 1-800–988–2378 sales@bestsecurityproducts.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPweBlXNfxo

You know how important having a commercial fire alarm is to your business.  Without it, you, your employees, your customers and your assets are vulnerable to a fire emergency. But having the right system is important too.  If the commercial fire alarm system you choose does not meet the unique demands of your company, you may find that you have not only wasted money, but you may have also put lives at risk.

One decision you will need to make is whether to use an automatic fire alarm system, a manual fire alarm system or a combination of both. There are advantages to each system.

Manual systems are only activated and useful if someone is present in the building at the time of fire and pulls the handle. The advantage of a manual system is that it provides a reliable way to instantly trigger an alarm when a fire is noticed.  There is no need to wait for the smoke detectors to be activated.  The disadvantage of a manual fire alarm system is that if no one notices the fire and activates the system, the alarm will not be triggered.

Automatic fire alarm systems are triggered automatically when the sensors in the system detect the presence of smoke and/or heat from the fire.  The advantage of this type of system is that no one needs to be present to activate the alarm system.  The disadvantage of this type of system is the danger of the system failing during a power outage, but high quality back up batteries make this a minimal risk.

Because both systems have distinct advantages, you may want to use a combination in your business to provide the best protection possible.  When combined with a security monitoring company, a dual system offers excellent protection.

We would love to schedule a free consultation with you, to help you determine what is best for your business.  Give us a call at 1-800–988–2378 or send us an email at sales@bestsecurityproducts.com

Whether you are at the office or at home, fire sprinklers offer trusted protection.

California State Fire Marshal Tonya Hoover explains how sprinklers work and how easy they are to maintain. Here are some highlights:

The biggest myth, thanks to movies and TV, is that when there is a fire, the entire system goes off at once.  The fact is, each sprinkler works independently and only the sprinkler closest to the fire will activate.  And if the fire is large, a second sprinkler nearby may also activate.

But most of the time, only one sprinkler is needed to control a home fire.

Fire sprinklers work fast.  In fact, fire sprinklers work so quickly, they often put the fire out before the fire department arrives.  That gives you time to get you and your family safely out of the house.

And burnt toast, cigars or other smoke can’t set off a sprinkler.  Only extreme heat from the fire will cause the sprinkler to operate.

The fire sprinkler system is designed essentially to be maintenance free.  However, you may want to occasionally do some simple safe-guarding to make sure your system is ready to work when it is called upon.

It is a good idea to do a water flow test on a regular basis.  It’s really simple – just open the valve.  If you have an alarm on your sprinkler system, it may take up to 60 seconds for the alarm to go off.  It’s also important to close the valve slowly.  Make sure you know where the water will flow out when you do the test.  Typically it’s right outside your home so the water can run into the yard.

If your sprinkler is connected to a central alarm monitoring system, it’s important that you notify them that you’re doing a test, so they know it’s not a real fire.

Your sprinkler system piping is installed behind the walls and ceilings of your home, just like your household plumbing pipes.  In most cases, the pipes are hidden from view.

When the heat from a fire reaches 150-175 degrees, the ball inside the sprinkler will burst, causing the water to flow out.

To watch the full video, click below:

Give us a call to find out more about fire sprinklers for your home and business. 1-800–988–2378 sales@bestsecurityproducts.com