Fires are unpredictable, and when they strike, you must be prepared. With growing universities, senior living facilities and hospitals, the quest for safety and emergency preparedness is much greater. Gone are the days when only fire alarms would be sufficient in evacuating a building in case of an emergency. Safety requires much more than that…and it should.
With evolving technology, there is a seemingly limitless selection of innovative life and safety solutions. The key is making sure they all work together to effectively take action and get the word out when a fire occurs. Therefore, it is important that a systems integration partner understands your building’s make-up and creates a customized, all-encompassing plan to effectively protect your occupants. Let’s take a look at the different life and safety systems and how they can work together to ensure all areas of your life and safety plan are covered:
FIRE ALARMS
The quickest way to get the word out during a fire is sounding an alarm. New and emerging fire alarm systems provide options and allow building owners and administrators a solution that makes the most sense for their facility and audience. Different types of fire alarm systems include: photoelectric fire alarms with LED lights and fire alarms with voice capabilities. These can help detect an exit sign more clearly and alert sleeping residents with a custom voice message.
MASS NOTIFICATION
In an emergency, quick and effective communication is essential. With a digital voice command, building owners and administrators can get the word out with the push of a single button. Whether the message needs delivered to one area or numerous rooms, a mass notification system can deliver a customized message based on the scenario to the right audience, in the right place, at the right time.
SPRINKLER SYSTEMS
Water is the most common tool used to fight fires. While your technology is working to remove everyone safely from the building, water sprinklers can suppress the fire while emergency personnel is on the way. With the help of new technology, sprinkler systems have improved and now have the capabilities to calm a fire more quickly. Water mist systems are taking on the future because they absorb the heat from the flames, lower the temperature of the fire, suffocate it faster than regular systems and cause less water damage to the facility. No matter which one you choose, sprinkler systems are a must-have for your life safety plan.
When it comes to protecting the lives inside your building, every scenario, area of the facility and occupant needs accounted for. The best part of an integrated safety plan is having all the right systems working together under one control panel. This gives the person in control the ability to alert everyone quickly and effectively no matter what’s going on at that time.
For more information about life and safety systems integration, contact Fairchild Communication Systems, Inc. at 317.576.9115.
