Every year there are more than 100,000 non-residential fires. Businesses are affected at a significant cost, from restaurants to hotels and retail stores to office locations. It is not just to their bottom line but affects the income and livelihood of their employees and often the community around them. These businesses affected by fires range from small scale to big corporations. As such, there is no business out there not at risk. But business owners can do their part to minimize the risks and protect their assets, employees, and their customers from the aftermath of a commercial fire.
Ironically, many business owners don’t hesitate to have insurance on their property but question the need for a commercial fire sprinkler system. However, there are many reasons to install a commercial fire sprinkler system.
Before explaining some of the benefits of a fire sprinkler system for your business, let’s first address a few of the misconceptions of the fire sprinkler system.
- Sprinkler systems DO NOT cause costly damage; instead, sprinkler systems are designed to target and control the source of the fire, thus preventing the fire from spreading.
- A single fire does NOT trigger all the sprinklers. Instead, only the heads that sense high heat are activated when a sprinkler goes off.
- Fire sprinklers DO NOT randomly activate. Again, they only activate when there is excessively high heat. This needed temperature is between 135 and 165 degrees.
- While nothing lasts forever, with proper care and maintenance, fire sprinkler systems can last a significantly long time, making them worth the investment of time, money, and energy expended on maintenance.
So, now that you know that sprinkler systems are designed for your benefit consider these reasons for having a commercial fire sprinkler system.
Benefits of Having a Commercial Fire Sprinkler System
While there is never a question about the benefits of a sprinkler system for most business owners, it never hurts to note why a sprinkler system can make a significant difference. Consider these benefits of a business sprinkler system:
- Having a sprinkler system helps you stay within the limits of the law. Yes, you may only have a small business, and it might not be located in a busy commercial district, but having a sprinkler system is typically a requirement. And, depending on your location, there may be set requirements for it.
- Having a sprinkler system installed helps you save money on your business insurance. Having a good sprinkler system installed will actually help lower your insurance rates- providing you keep it maintained and passing inspections.
- If there is a fire, the sprinkler system will minimize property loss and damage. A well-maintained sprinkler system can stop a fire quickly and efficiently.
- Did you know that every year there are 15,000 people injured during a fire? Having a sprinkler system does not negate the chance of fire altogether, but it does lower the risk of injury and property damage.
- Having a sprinkler system that is adequately maintained and passes inspections lets people know that you value them as well as the property.
- Believe it or not, a sprinkler system is not something that takes a great deal of maintenance to pass inspections and stay in proper working order. Many commercial fire sprinkler systems can last upwards of 20 years when properly taken care of. At Code 4, we are here to help you keep everything in prime working order.
Having a commercial fire sprinkler system is a good investment. It means you have peace of mind knowing that you have done your part to protect your investment, as well as those in your community. If you have questions about the best type of sprinkler system or would like tips for maintaining your existing sprinkler system, contact one of the Code 4 fire safety teams. We are here help to help.
