Fire and smoke detection equipment keeps your workers and facilities safe. While basic fire prevention equipment and techniques can suffice, its best to optimize your fire detection equipment. This can be as simple as hiring a smoke alarm company to monitor your property or as as detailed as creating your own evacuation plan.

Making the most of fire and smoke detection equipment can save your life and the lives of your employees by alerting authorities and those inside. Often, this can be accomplished by simply using smoke detectors with exit signs attached. You can also improve your building's safety by using both smoke and fire detectors. Because they detect fires in different ways, you're more likely to get an early warning.

1. If you have smoke detectors or fire alarms with exit or arrow signs attached, make sure they point the way to the most effective exit. Confusingly labeled exits can complicate evacuations in an emergency.

2. Smoke alarms that use both ionization and photoelectric work best to detect multiple types of fires.

3. If your smoke and fire alarms are wired into the electrical system, make sure a backup generator is available to power them in a blackout or emergency.

Action Steps
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Invest in a custom fire safety system from a fire detection company

Many companies specialize in designing disaster prevention equipment, like smoke detectors, for businesses. This usually includes custom fire and smoke detection systems, which are tailored for the business. These companies use their expertise to install the safest system possible for you and your company. Customized alarm systems often include features like voice instructions, color coded alarms and fiber-optic support. Usually, alarms in a custom setup are linked, ensuring prompt evacuation from all parts of the building.

I recommend: Get a custom smoke and fire detection system from Protection One or Notifier.

Use a monitoring service to aid in detecting smoke and fire

Some security businesses offer to monitor your smoke detection systems for a fee. In most cases, this ensures that someone is watching your building twenty-four hours a day and will promptly alert the fire department and police if there is a problem. This kind of monitoring works well for companies with expensive equipment or goods, as smoke detector companies will call the fire department even if you're not there.

I recommend: Check out the monitoring services available from Monitronics, or get smoke and fire monitoring from ADT.

Buy smoke alarms with a test button or use a smoke alarm testing equipment

Some smoke alarms have a button on them that allows you to test the sensor and alarm. This makes it easy to ensure that your smoke alarms are working, and tells you when to replace the battery. Some even provide a light that indicates whether the alarm has power. Generally speaking, smoke alarms should be tested at least every six months to make sure they are working correctly. If your smoke alarms don't have a test button, you can use smoke alarm testing equipment from smoke detector manufacturers to check your smoke alarms.

I recommend: Check out these smoke alarms with test buttons from Ace Hardware and Aubuchon Hardware.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If your business have security and toxic gas monitoring already, look into combining those services with fire prevention monitoring. Often, security companies offer package deals to monitor a property for all three for less.

Fire and smoke detection equipment should be one of your first buys when you purchase your commercial property or investment real estate. They will keep your building safer, and they will help keep your staff, tenants, and/or yourself out of harm's way as well.

Fire detection equipment will keep you compliant also. Most states require smoke detection equipment in public or multi-unit residential buildings, and if something goes wrong, the smoke detector is one of the first things that the fire marshal looks for when inspecting a fire scene. If you can’t show that your fire and smoke detection equipment was in place and/or operating properly, you open yourself up to stiff fines and potential lawsuits.

To decide between smoke detector manufacturers:

1. Determine the level of quality you are seeking.

2. Determine your budget.

3. Determine how many units and/or where your smoke detectors need to go.

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Find multiple varieties of smoke detector manufacturers

You can find fire detection equipment of all kinds online. From conventional to aspirating to addressable the online smoke detector companies can help find the right unit for you.

I recommend: Fire Detection out of Sun Valley, CA offers systems and services. UTC Fire & Security offers not only extinguishers and alarms, but fire and explosion suppression equipment as well.

Use smoke detector companies to custom install your hard wired system

If you are terrible at remembering to change the alarm batteries, look to have your smoke detector manufacturer put in a wired system for less hassle and excellent coverage.

I recommend: Smart Home offers a 5-star rated model of hard wired smoke & heat detector system for under $55. The Gentex Hard-wired system runs around $130.

Follow up with fire detection equipment that detects more than smoke

Your industrial smoke detector equipment is vital to the safety of your goods and your employees, but systems like the Linear Heat Detection work great for manufacturing plants or densely populated businesses because they gauge the heat instead of just relying on smoke to detect a fire. This could save your company not only money but lives if your employees are given an earlier warning system than just when the smoke sets off the alarms.

I recommend: Fire Sentry Corporation offers its Electro-Optical Fire and Flame Detection Technology (TM) that has many industrial purposes. Safe Fire Detection, Inc. offers its Linear Heat Detection line that senses increases in heat, not smoke to alert you to a business fire. They also offer air sampling fire detection as well.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Purchase added services from your smoke detector company. Fire and security companies can send help your way when seconds count. Their hard wired systems can alert the proper authorities even when you aren't present. Tyco and ADT are 2 great companies in the fire and security industry.
• •  Not sure where to put your fire detection equipment? Ask a local fire fighter or the fire marshal to visit and advise.

Fire and smoke detection equipment keeps your you, your workers and your facilities safe in case of a fire. Smoke detectors and other fire detection equipment are the first line of defense against disaster. Choosing the right type of fire and smoke detection equipment can save you money and lives.

Smoke detection equipment should be installed to cover any place that has workers or equipment. For basic setups, its alright to have a smoke detector next to each exit, but more expensive equipment and larger operations should have both smoke and fire detection equipment. Here are some things to keep in mind when choosing the right system for your business:

1. Local regulations require most homes and businesses to have smoke detectors in places like kitchens and near exits.

2. Many insurance companies have specific requirements about the kind of smoke and fire detection equipment needed to protect a business. Check with your insurance company to find out its standards.

3. Smoke detection systems are often battery powered, requiring a new battery to be installed approximately every six months. Keeping your detection systems up-to-date is essential to protect your business from fire hazards.

Action Steps
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Buy basic smoke detectors for small businesses and home offices

Basic smoke alarms work by detecting smoke, but not fire. These alarms are usually small, battery powered units that attach to walls or ceilings. Many budget smoke alarms use ionization and are best at detecting smoke from fast, flame-heavy fires. Alarms like this work well in small areas with simple floor plans, where the exits are obvious.

I recommend: Buy a basic smoke detector from SmokeSign.com, or check out one of the battery-operated models available from the Fire Safety Store.

Purchase heat detectors for extra protection

While heat detectors aren't meant to replace smoke alarms, they can provide extra fire and smoke protection by sensing changes in heat before smoke reaches your smoke alarms. Heat detectors are often made by smoke detector companies and come in fixed-temperature and rate-of-rise models. Fixed-temperature models will go off when the temperature reaches a certain point. Rate-of-rise models react to sudden changes in room temperature that might occur if highly flammable materials ignite.

I recommend: Buy a heat detector from the AlarmSystemStore.com, or check out smoke alarm models with built-in heat detectors from HomeTech Solutions.

Get a dual-sensor smoke detector for essential areas

Sleeping areas and other places where flammable objects can cause a smoldering smoky fire should have a smoke alarm that uses both ionization and photoelectric sensors to detect fires. These alarms can rapidly alert you to both flame-heavy and smoldering smoky fires. If you can afford it, this is the safest solution available from smoke detector manufacturers.

I recommend: Get dual-sensor models from First Alert, or check out the smoke alarms available from Westside Wholesale.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you don't want the hassle of replacing smoke alarm batteries repeatedly, you may want to invest in a model with a lithium ion battery. These can last for 10 years or more, although the battery inside is irreplaceable. This type of unit costs more but you won't have to buy replacement batteries, keeping you up-to-date on fire and smoke detection equipment basics.

The United States Fire Administration (USFA) reports that every year more than 4,000 civilians and firefighters perish and another 20,000 are injured in fires. The USFA also notes that over two-thirds of those civilians die in the home. Unfortunately, there is no single method of preventing residential fires. Installing fire and smoke detection equipment, however, can assist in reducing home fire frequency. Before installing these systems, individuals should become familiar with terminology commonly associated with these products.

Action Steps
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Photoelectric detectors

Photoelectric detectors react to smoke from a smoldering fire. These devices incorporate a tiny lamp adapted to target a narrow beam of light across its detection chamber. A light-sensitive 'photocell' is positioned beside that light but is not directly exposed to it. When smoke makes its way into the detection chamber the beam of light is mirrored in every direction. A certain amount of the reflected light is picked up by the photocell triggering the smoke alarm.

I recommend: Auduchon Hardware explains the differences between photoelectric, ionization and thermal detectors.

Ionization detectors

Ionization detectors sense smoke with the help of an ionization chamber and ionizing radiation. These devices are popular because they are affordable and more effective at detecting the smoke created by a 'flaming' fire.

I recommend: FireNet defines ionization detectors.

Underwriters Laboratories (UL)

The Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is like the 'Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval' for fire and smoke detection equipment. The UL is a not-for-profit organization that tests electrical equipment and its components, such as smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers, for possible safety risks. Products bearing the UL label have been tested and evaluated and meet the necessary safety requirements.

I recommend: Underwriters Laboratories.com provides an overview of the organization and its labeling system.

Carbon monoxide detectors

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a deadly gas that is colorless, odorless, tasteless and toxic. When inhaled, CO hinders the blood's ability to transport oxygen to vital organs like the brain and heart. Carbon monoxide detectors monitor the air for the presence of CO. An alarm sounds whenever the gas exceeds a predetermined level. These battery-operated devices should be placed on each level of the house. Position them on the ceiling or a wall about five feet above the floor for maximum effectiveness.

I recommend: About Carbon Monoxide offers details about carbon monoxide detectors and answers frequently asked questions.

Residential sprinkler systems

Sprinkler systems are effective devices when it comes to saving and protecting commercial structures. They are designed to protect persons and property not in close proximity to the fire's origin. Residential sprinkler systems offer similar protection to homes and their occupants. Their quick response sets the system off while the fire is in its infancy stages. This allows occupants to evacuate safely. Homes equipped with residential sprinkler systems lower the possibility of someone perishing in a fire by 25 to 75 percent. These devices also lower the amount of property damage that is sustained.

I recommend: The USFA gives information about residential sprinkler systems and how they work.

PASS

The acronym PASS is used to remember the proper way of operating a fire extinguisher. 'Pull the Pin' at the top of the fire extinguisher. A locking mechanism is released making it easy to discharge. 'Aim at the base of the fire'' rather than the flames to smother the fuel. 'Squeeze the lever slowly' to free the device's extinguishing agent. Releasing the handle halts the discharge. 'Sweep from side to side' until the fire is fully extinguished. Always read the manufacturer's instructions before using a fire extinguisher.

I recommend: Fire Extinguisher:101 explains the meaning of the acronym PASS. OSHA has additional information and instruction on using a fire extinguisher.