Best Security Products blog

In a report released by the Nation Fire Protection Association Fire Analysis and Research Division, office fire statistics are analyzed and made public.

Here are a few highlights from the report. Read the entire analysis here.

The report gives information about structure fires in office properties which include business offices, banks, veterinary or research offices, engineering, mailing firms and post offices.

Peak times of day for fires were between noon and 2:00 PM. There were fewer fires on the weekends, since fewer people work on the weekends, but in spite of the lower number of weekend fires accounted for 31% of associated property loss.

The high rate of loss that occurred when the offices were less populated show how important it is to have automatic systems that can not only detect but also extinguish fires when no one is present.

• Greater than one in every four of the fires (29%) was a cooking equipment fire
• Intentionally set fires caused the biggest share of property damage
• Electrical and light equipment fires caused the second most office fires
• 22% of the fires started in the kitchen or cooking area
• 2% of the fires of the fires began in the attic or ceiling area, but these fires caused 13% of the property damage.

Wet pipe sprinklers were very effective in controlling fires and saving lives. When the fires were large enough to trigger the sprinkler system, they operated 90% of the time and were effective in 88% of the fires.

Compared to offices without automatic extinguishing equipment, deaths per 1,000 fires were 62% lower in those that had wet pipe sprinklers.

Is your office adequately protected from fire? If you are not sure, it is time to call a professional for help. Best Security Products specializes in business and commercial fire security systems.

At Best Security Products, we specialize in fire systems for business and home. One important component of your fire security system is a heat detector.

There are two main types of heat detectors available:

1. Fixed Temperature. This type of heat detector works by monitoring the ambient temperature in the room. When the temperature reaches a predetermined level, the detector will activate and sound an alarm.

When a fixed temperature heat detector is activated, it cannot be reused. Activation destroys the device. This is the most common type of heat detector.

2. Rate of rise. This kind of heat detector is designed to activate when the ambient temperature in the room rises at a particular rate, which is programmed when the device is manufactured. This type of heat detector may not activate in a fire that is slow to build and spread.

For a demonstration of how a fixed temperature heat detector works, click the video below by New Age Server Alarm. A head detector is dismantled to show exactly what happens when the temperature reaches the predetermined level. 

It is important to keep in mind that heat detectors are not meant to replace smoke detectors in bedrooms or hallways outside of bedrooms. Heat detectors are better used in areas that are less than ideal for smoke detectors, such as the kitchen. However, when choosing a heat detector, consider the normal activities that will be going on in the area you want to protect.

If your business operates out of a garage where you use equipment that causes the temperature to elevate quickly during use, you may want to use a rate-of-rise heat detector to avoid false alarms from a fixed temperature detector.

Fire safety is our specialty at Best Security Products. Give us a call at 1-800–988–2378 or email us at sales@bestsecurityproducts.com for customized fire security in your business or home.

According to this report by KOCO 5 News, there was no smoke detector found in the apartment where a deadly fire killed two 10 month old twins.

The mother was at work and the father was sleeping when he awoke to the smell of smoke. He sustained burns while rescuing the twin babies, but by the time he got to them, it was too late. They had already inhaled too much smoke.

If you own apartments or rental houses, make sure that there are smoke detectors in those dwellings. It is critical to also ensure that they are fully functional and have fresh batteries for battery backup.

The ideal situation is to have a hard wired system in each unit, monitored and protected by a security company. When the fire detection system detects a fire, the security company will be notified immediately and can contact your local fire authorities if needed.

At Best Security Products, we specialize in installing high quality Honeywell smoke detectors and fire security systems. Whether you need a simple installation of smoke and heat detectors or a more robust fire and burglary combination panel, we can work with your unique needs to install a custom system that is right for your business.

Honeywell’s commercial fire and burglary control platforms can also integrate with CCTV to add an extra layer of security.

The tragedy reported by KOCO 5 News need not have happened. A simple smoke detection system could have alerted the sleeping father that a fire had ignited. Quality smoke detectors are sensitive and usually provide enough time to escape. Take an audit of the fire detection systems in the rental units that you oversee, and contact Best Security Products to upgrade your system. It can mean safety for your tenants and peace of mind for you.

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