Fires at commercial properties like retailers, offices, restaurants and hotels can cause great financial losses for the property owner. Hence the property owner will usually insure the property so that it is easy to get compensation in case of losses. However, most insurance companies insist that the business should take adequate precautions to prevent a fire, before providing insurance coverage. One of the most vital components of a fire safety system is the fire alarm, which will alert people that there is a fire. Hence businesses would like to find out the factors which they should consider while comparing the commercial fire alarm companies near me.

Fire alarms

There are a large number of companies manufacturing fire alarms which differ in their design, warranty, price, coverage and other features. A majority of the fire alarms usually have smoke detectors or temperature sensors which trigger the fire alarm. The smoke detectors will usually be able to detect a fire a longer distance away, so fewer smoke detectors will be required compared to temperature sensor based system. It is also important to check if there is any mechanism to prevent false alarms, which will disturb the daily routine, leading to waste of time and money.

Fire detection.

Typically the fire alarm will be connected to a hooter or siren which will make a loud noise whenever the fire is detected. Increasingly fires take place in commercial premises, at night or weekends when there is no one working in the area. Hence the latest models of fire alarms, are using wireless technology, to alert the business owner as well as the relevant security, property maintenance staff on their smartphone, immediately, so that they can take suitable action to extinguish the fire immediately and reduce the damage caused to the extent possible.

Installation and testing

In addition to the price of the fire alarms and cost of installation, the business owner should also check the warranty, reviews and features of the fire alarms available before finalize suitable fire alarms for the property. The fire alarm company will usually supply and install the fire alarms in the property after the order is placed. It is important to ensure that the fire alarms are tested properly, so that they can quickly detect a fire. The business may have to provide proof that the fire alarms are properly installed and tested to their insurance company to get the insurance coverage.

Maintenance and warranty.

Since the fire alarms will be used very rarely in most commercial properties, they usually carry a warranty of several years, typically 5 years or more. Like all electro-mechanical devices, there is always a possibility that the fire alarm will malfunction due to multiple reasons like the power supply is not working or some parts are covered with dust. Hence the supplier of the fire alarms should also carry out regular maintenance of the fire alarm system which he installed, preferably once in every six months at least. If any part is malfunctioning, it should be repaired at the earliest. After testing the fire alarm, the staff of the maintenance company will submit a test certificate.