Have you been neglecting the maintenance on your commercial fire protection and suppression systems? Here’s the truth: while delayed service and repairs might not seem like a big deal, the results can be catastrophic. Your fire protection and suppression systems protect lives, preserve assets, and keep businesses operational—when they function correctly. In this blog post, we’ll underline three reasons why commercial fire maintenance is important and discuss the real-world risks of delayed service.
What is Commercial Fire Maintenance?
Commercial fire maintenance is the comprehensive inspection, testing, and servicing of all fire protection equipment in your building. This includes:
- Fire alarm systems and batteries
- Sprinkler systems
- Fire extinguishers
- Emergency lighting
- Back-up generators
All commercial fire protection systems follow strict guidelines set out in the Alberta Fire Code. Each element of your system has specific inspection requirements and maintenance schedules.
Why Sticking to Commercial Fire Maintenance Schedules is Crucial
- Keeps Tenants Safe
Probably the most obvious reason on this list, commercial fire maintenance ensures all your systems are functioning correctly so you can ensure your tenants are protected in life-threatening situations.
Use this scenario as an example: a property manager skips their quarterly fire alarm inspections to save on maintenance costs. By neglecting crucial inspections and maintenance, they fail to notice that their fire alarm system batteries are dead or that their smoke detectors aren’t responding accurately. As a result, hen a fire breaks out in the building, their alarm system fails to activate and alert the tenants at risk. By the time the fire alarm is pulled, precious evacuation time has been lost.
Don’t put the lives of your tenants or your works at risk—invest in regular maintenance to ensure you can count on your system when needed.
- Keeps Your Building Compliant
On top of the safety risks, a non-functional fire protection system can result in hefty fines. Under the Alberta Fire Code, it is the responsibility of the building owner to regularly inspect, maintain, and repair their fire safety systems. Buildings that don’t comply with these regulations can face significant fines, building shutdowns, and even jail time. In order to keep a building compliant, property managers must follow Alberta Fire Code Maintenance schedules. Some of these regulations include:
- Monthly maintenance: fire alarm system and emergency power testing, inspecting portable fire extinguishers and all emergency lighting systems.
- Annual requirements: Professional fire alarm testing by a certified fire protection company, flow testing of all sprinkler systems, and inspecting and maintaining emergency generator systems.
- Saves You Money
While regular fire maintenance costs might add up, these fees are a small price to pay compared to non-compliance fines or complete system failure. Consider an Edmonton building that failed to maintain its backup generator. When their power went out, the emergency generator kicked on—and caused an electrical surge which ruined all electronic elements of their fire protection system. As a result, the building owner was on the hook for a complete system replacement, regulatory fines, and a manned fire watch until the new system could be installed. On the other hand, if you have opted for a regular fire maintenance program from a fire protection company, they could have easily avoided these significant costs—all while keeping their building and tenants safe.
Ready to Invest in Your Fire Protection System?
Maintaining your fire protection system is easy—especially when you partner with an experienced fire protection company like Karlen-Kada. Our certified technicians handle everything from routine inspections to emergency repairs, keeping your building compliant and your tenants safe 24/7. Contact us today to schedule your first consultation!
