Fire Alarm Installation Albury / New South Wales / Australia

Fire safety and protection services and fire alarm installation services are aimed at providing homeowners, business owners, and the public with a sense of peace of mind, knowing that if the worst happens and a fire starts inside a building, that all reasonable measures have been taken to suppress the fire. Fire alarm installations will alert people to the fire and allow them to evacuate the building before the fire spreads out of control, thus preserving precious human life.

FIRE SAFETY AND PROTECTION SERVICES AND FIRE ALARM INSTALLATION SERVICES - DIFFERENCES

Before we go further, we must know the difference between fire safety and protection services companies and fire alarm installation companies. Mainly, fire alarm installation service companies are generally only concerned with designing, installing, and maintaining a fire alarm system. These may or may not include other types of alarms such as carbon monoxide, etc. By contrast, a fire safety and protection services company often encompass all the services of a fire alarm installation service, in addition to designing, installing, and maintaining other anti-fire measures such as fire extinguishers, sprinkler systems, fire doors, firewalls, protective cladding between rooms or units in a building, and many more related tasks. They may also work with builders or architects from the design stage of a new building onward, whereas fire alarm installation services tend to be a small, late-stage component of new building construction. 

FIRE SAFETY AND PROTECTION SERVICES AND FIRE ALARM INSTALLATION SERVICES – WHAT THEY DO

With the differences between the two types of services understood, it’s time to talk about the various services that they can provide. For the sake of brevity, we’ll mostly be talking about fire safety and fire protection services in this section, as we’ve already discussed that they do everything a fire alarm installation company does and much more. 

In chronological order from the design of a new building onward, the services that fire safety and protection services offer include:

• Work with building architects to ensure the design meets or exceeds local fire codes. That can include input on the type of building materials used, the location of various escape features such as stairwells or fire escapes. That also provides for the inclusion of fire doors, selection and use of different types of firewall material, both internally within rooms and between rooms, use of exterior cladding to prevent fire spread, incorporation of fire sprinkler or other suppression systems, integration of fire alarm systems, and much more.
• Fire safety and protection services that may be contracted during the construction process to either install specialized fire safety and protection services equipment or to act as consultants and certification bodies. Some structural elements include:

Fire escapes,

Fire doors,

Exterior building cladding,

Internal fireproofing, often behind or as part of insulation and drywall,

Sprinkler/standpipe-related equipment installations (see below).

• At some point, fire safety and protection services companies will be called upon to install, setup, and test fire suppression systems or other active anti-fire measures as part of the outfitting of the building, much as electricians install and test the electrical system, and plumbers the plumbing system, etc. These systems can include:

Fire sprinklers,

Halon, nitrogen, CO2, or other non-water-based suppression systems (common for electronics, mechanical areas, and similar),

Automatic fire door systems, or manual, always-closed fire door systems,

Ventilation system sensors that alter airflow when smoke is detected, 

Hoses and other required fire-code elements for more significant buildings.

• Both fire safety and protection services and fire alarm installation companies will often install and test the fire alarm (and other related hazard alarm) systems and may broker monitoring service contracts with building owners.
• Finally, fire safety and protection services companies often are contracted to install and maintain emergency measure equipment such as fire axes, fire extinguishers, and similar.
• For existing construction, fire safety and protection services may be called upon to do any of the above tasks, in the form of retrofitting or renovating or as additions to existing systems. Consistent with these tasks, they are often also contracted to perform maintenance on things like existing fire alarm systems, fire suppression systems, fire extinguishers, and similar, whether they had any role in designing them or installing them.

FIRE SAFETY AND PROTECTION SERVICES AND FIRE ALARM INSTALLATION SERVICES – WHY YOU SHOULD HIRE THEM

There can be many reasons to employ fire safety and protection services and fire alarm installation companies, not least of which is it is a requirement in many jurisdictions. Buildings of all sizes generally have an associated fire code, which requires certain passive and active fire prevention elements, as well as signoff and certification by a qualified agency or the local fire marshal. Fire safety and protection services and fire alarm installation services often are the go-to companies to get work done in these areas.

Additionally, even absent requirements or codes for occupancy and use, fire protection is merely a smart investment. In general, many of these passive and active fire protection and fire alarm systems that can be installed are relatively low-cost in the grand scheme of things. They require minimal annual maintenance and testing on an ongoing basis after installation. However, they can be invaluable in allowing occupants to be alerted to fire, suppressing the fire, and allowing to get out of the building safely. As we have seen in recent tragic incidents around the world, skimping on fire protection can be extremely costly regarding lives lost, and no price should be placed on human life.

FIRE SAFETY AND PROTECTION SERVICES AND FIRE ALARM INSTALLATION SERVICES – CHOOSING THE RIGHT COMPANY

Assuming you are convinced of the value of fire safety and protection services and fire alarm installation services, you may be wondering how to choose the right or best company to do the work. There are a few aspects of any company that consumers should consider when trying to find the best fire safety and protection service or fire alarm installation service to meet their needs. In no particular order, these criteria are:

• Fire safety and protection services offered

Do they provide the full range of fire protection services we’ve discussed here or only a subset of those services?

Do they offer everything you think you conceivably will need from them?

• The reputation of fire safety and protection services

Do they have positive reviews?

Do you have neighbors or friends who have used them and had positive experiences?

• Certifications

Are they fully bonded, licensed, and certified to work in your area?

Do they proudly display trade group associations and skill certifications?

• Knowledge and equipment of fire safety and protection services

Do they seem knowledgeable about the subject matter?

Do they have a range of equipment and know-how to use it?

• Professionalism and warranties of fire safety and protection service

Do they guarantee or warranty their work, and if so for how extended a period?

Do they respond to questions, calls, appointments, etc. in a timely and courteous manner?

• Time and cost of fire safety and protection service

Does their quotation for job time seem to be reasonable, and match what other competitors have quoted?

Does their quotation for job cost seem to be reasonable, and match what other competitors have quoted?

SUMMARY OF FIRE SAFETY AND PROTECTION

In summary, the experts at fire safety and protection services and fire alarm installation services can provide peace-of-mind and safety for the occupants and owners of buildings. Fire safety, protection, and fire alarm installation services can be employed at all stages of new construction, or an existing structure, to bring multiple options to the table for fire prevention and suppression. Passive and active fire protection systems generally are low-cost and low-maintenance, making money spent on fire safety and protection services and fire alarm installation services well worth it – their products and services may save lives!