Different Fire Alert Systems Fit Differently-Sized Businesses

The first consideration when choosing your fire alert system is the size of your business. More precisely, it’s the size of its workforce, clientele, and the size and complexity of the building itself. Fire codes will address most of this, but it’s important to understand why different requirements are made of different buildings and businesses.

Small Buildings

A small business is usually fine with a more basic fire alert system. For instance, if your business is a retail store, you may have an open retail level, a basement for storage, and a back office. Between three areas, it won’t be difficult for a fire department to identify where the fire is. It also won’t be difficult for employees and customers to evacuate. If anyone is trapped, the process for rescuing them will be more straightforward.

You can always upgrade to a more comprehensive system, but there are certain tools in a more complex system that wouldn’t get much use. If you keep a great deal of product on the premises, a more thorough system – or even monitoring – can be worth the expense. This is especially true when beefing up the fire suppression system.

Large Buildings

If you’re a larger business with a larger space, you’ll need a more complex alarm system. This can more readily give your fire department information about locations, as well as particular aid in fighting the fire.

For instance, if your business occupies a multi-story building composed of many offices or stores, a fire department needs a system to help them locate where the fire started and how quickly it’s spread. A building such as this can contain dozens or hundreds of rooms and is much more difficult for employees, customers, and clients to escape.

Shirking a sophisticated system in a larger building such as this will often violate fire codes, put people at risk, and expose you to litigation.

If you’re confused or have questions about fire codes and the type of system you need, a question asked now saves you time, expense, worry, and risk later. You can consult your fire safety division, the fire marshall’s office, and a professional company like ours. We’ve implemented fire alert systems for schools, malls, and large businesses, as well as warehouses, individual retail locations, and other small businesses.