Your Fire Protection System Needs Your Attention

Is your fire protection system really protecting you? How long has it been since your system was installed? How often, if at all, do you have your fire protection system inspected? Have you really given this any thought? It's easy to neglect such things when you are running a business.

Just the normal everyday routine tasks of running your business demand much of your attention, and when business activities don’t go according to plan, your attention is naturally diverted even further from such mundane issues as facilities maintenance. But you should set aside some time to review the status of your fire protection and monitoring systems.

You have a large investment in your building and its contents. What would happen if you had a fire and your automatic fire protection system didn't function as expected? Do you have important documents or expensive equipment, such as computers or production machines that could be damaged? Could they be replaced, at what cost, and how quickly? Could you afford to have production halted for a few days, weeks or months? Proper inspection and maintenance of your fire protection and monitoring systems is essential.

Your fire protection system is just like any other mechanical or electrical system that can fail to perform if it sits dormant for extended periods of time. Anything can fail, but systems that are maintained and tested regularly, are more likely to perform properly when needed. You should have regular inspections and maintenance performed by someone that is trained and qualified to work on such systems.

If it's been a long time since your fire protection system was installed, a review is in order to ensure that it is up to date with local codes. You should also check to see if your original alarm system only provides local warning, or is it connected to the appropriate monitoring service. It may be only local because it was not practical for remote monitoring at the time of installation. But now it is a simple and necessary procedure to set up remote monitoring.

You will also want to review the type of fire protection that you have installed. At one time, water fire sprinkler systems were the norm. Today there are reliable, waterless systems that might be more appropriate if you have irreplaceable documents or expensive equipment that could be damaged by water sprinklers.

You need to arrange for an inspection and a regular maintenance program. You can find a qualified Minneapolis fire protection system company by searching online.

Fire Safety on a Budget

You and your family's safety is nothing to take lightly, but there may be some circumstances where you can't spend a lot of money on top-of-the-line fire alarm and fire suppression systems. Don't worry -- there are still ways to keep your family protected in these situations, and you can do so without taking as big a hit to your wallet.

Smoke alarms are simple devices that offer big protection, at least in the warning stage. When a smoke detector catches a whiff of smoke, it emits a sound that is meant to get the attention of anyone who might be in your home. Some models will even flash a bright light to let those who are deaf or hard-of-hearing know that they should try to escape immediately.

Fire extinguishers are also very important tools to keep around. Should a fire start and should you be around while it's still in the beginning stages of formation, you can use a fire extinguisher to keep that small fire from becoming a large one. It's important to know which type of extinguisher is the best to use for which type of fire, however, as there are different types of extinguishers that can help suppress fires depending on their source type (paper, flammable liquids, electrical wiring, etc).

One of the best things you can do is develop a fire escape plan and practice it on a regular basis. The preparation will undoubtedly help in the event of a real emergency.

Ready to help protect your home or business from the dangers of a potential fire? Call Brother's Fire today for Iowa fire protection services at (763) 441-2290.

Sustainable Fire Protection

With many cities and municipalities experiencing financial crunches, innovative ways to keep costs low while still maintaining the services taxpayers are used to seems to be a priority. One of the highest-cost items for local governments is the cost of keeping a fire company. Firefighter pay sits just below a police force in terms of cost for these governments. Some fire departments, squeezed by budget cuts, are looking to a unique solution: student firefighters.

Fire companies that are stationed near colleges provide students with free housing and hourly pay in exchange for firefighting duties when the need arises. UA Fairbanks runs such a fire department, and when the students graduate or leave, they're replaced with incoming students. Costs are kept low, since students are paid a less-expensive hourly wage than professional firefighters, and because these students also don't accrue pensions, costs are also kept down going into the future.

This idea, of course, does not have to take place near a college campus, but having this be the case helps in the recruitment of younger adults. It's an innovative way to keep troubled fire departments afloat in times of economic strife.

Want to learn more about Brother's Fire and our Iowa fire protection services? Call us today at (800) 607-2767.

Fire Safety Tips from Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog

Need an adorable reminder to always put fire safety at the forefront of your fire protection strategy? If so, the Keep Kids Fire Safe Foundation has just what you need -- regular visits from Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog, who has his own dedicated blog that gets updated regularly with tips and advice from Sparkles and his friends. Here's a recent tip that went up today from Sparkles.

 Sparkles the fire safety dog, created by the Keep Kids Fire Safe Foundation, was named USA Today's 2010 Most Heroic Dog.



Brothers Fire is a Iowa fire protection company that has been serving the region for over 10 years. You can learn more about Brothers Fire and the commercial and residential services we provide by visiting our website. You can also get in touch with us by calling (800) 607-2767.

Types of Fire Sprinkler Systems

When you think of a fire sprinkler system, you might think of the ceiling-mounted system that covers an area in water when it detects a fire. This is one system, called a wet pipe system, and it's automatic device that supplies pressurized water to the room or rooms a fire has been detected in.

Another type of fire sprinkler system is called a dry pipe system. This type of sprinkler system is used in buildings that are unheated, as well as in refrigerated coolers and other cooler areas. This system is the second most common, after the wet pipe system, but is more expensive to install and keep in good condition.

A third type of sprinkler system is known as a deluge system. With a deluge sprinkler system, the sprinklers are actually open, allowing a greater flow of water from the pipes to the affected area. This can help put out a larger area of fire than the previous two systems.

The pre-action system is meant to not only protect life and extinguish fires, but also protect property. These systems are used frequently in museums and in other places where rare or expensive materials are kept.

Interested in learning more about which type of sprinkler system is right for you? Get in touch with Brothers Fire, an experienced Iowa fire protection company with over 10 years of experience. You can reach us by phone at (800) 607-2767.

Fire Protection Technology from 3M used by NASCAR Drivers

Chemicals company 3M has long been a source of innovation, and for years, one of the areas they've done a lot of good work in has been the race car fire protection industry. Here, they've provided NASCAR drivers with the fire protection technology used in race cars, like its Novec 1230 Fire Protection Fluid. 

This fluid is now becoming more and more common in Iowa fire protection systems. When the need for fire protection is there but water or dry chemical suppression agents will damage important electrical systems, this can be used to help stop the spread of a fire, providing more time for those in a building to escape and protecting more property by the time the fire is extinguished.

Ready to learn more about Iowa fire protection company Brothers Fire? Call today at (800) 607-2767.

How Fire Protection Systems Work

The modern-day fire protection system is a far cry from the one that was available to Iowa businesses a few decades back. In the past, fire protection consisted of a fire alarm system and a suppression system that merely tried to control a fire long enough for firefighters to arrive and finish the job. Today's fire protection system also couples an alarm and suppression system, but nowadays, a suppression system has the potential to completely knock out a fire on its own.

The most common system used for suppression is the sprinkler system. This often utilizes water, though other types of suppression agents (such as foam or gas) can also be used. When a fire is detected, usually by the presence of smoke in the air, the fire alarm portion of the protection system is activated, and the suppression system attempts to control and extinguish the fire as quickly as possible.

Brothers Fire has been helping Iowa businesses with their fire protection needs for the past decade. Interested in learning more about how we can help? Get in touch today by visiting our website.

A Firefighter's Take on Sprinkler Systems

Rhett Fleitz, a firefighter for nearly 15 years, recently sat down for an interview with an Indiana-based fire protection company in which he was asked for his opinion on sprinkler systems. Fleitz's response?

"The statistics are staggering when you compare life loss and property loss in sprinkled and non-sprinkled buildings. It should be a no-brainer."

Fleitz is the writer for a fire service blog called The Fire Critic, where he examines the fire service industry, its tools, and its methods from a firefighter's perspective. Fleitz credits sprinkler systems for doing a lot of the work before firefighters even arrive, saying that the systems "do a great job of keeping fires contained to the room of origin if not putting them out completely."

Brothers Fire Protection can help you install a sprinkler system in your Minneapolis home or business. Such a system can prevent serious damage, and can save lives by containing or extinguishing fires. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help! (800) 607-2767.

Fire Protection Tip: Smoke Alarm Locations

Smoke alarms are inexpensive, but effective, tools that can help alert you to smoke that could be coming from a fire. In order for a smoke detector to do its job properly, however, it's important that it is placed in a location that both gives it the opportunity to detect smoke and alert someone to the potential danger of a fire. There are a few locations where smoke alarms are best placed.

• At least one on each floor of your home.
• One outside the door of every bedroom.

Be sure to change a smoke detector's battery at least twice per year. The recommended time to do so is during Daylight Savings time changes in the Fall and Spring. If you're changing your clock, also remember to change the battery on your smoke detector so that it's fully functional should you need it to do its job in an emergency.

Stay tuned to this blog for more fire protection industry news and tips, and be sure to contact Brothers Fire for your Minneapolis residential and commercial fire protection needs.

Fire Safety for Your Business

Workplace safety should be high on the list of any employer, and fire safety is a big piece of the puzzle. There are a few steps you should take to make sure that your business is properly prepared for a fire, and that the necessary fire protection instruments are in place.

First, it's crucial that you have a risk assessment done to locate potential trouble spots or risks. Any potentially dangerous items noted in the risk assessment should be fixed as soon as possible.

Next, an evacuation plan should be developed that takes into account where someone is sitting and where the nearest exits are. One evacuation route is not one-size-fits-all in a large office. Back-up plans should also be developed in the event that the original plan isn't able to be followed during an emergency.

Finally, train your employees on the proper usage of fire extinguishing tools, and appoint a few people to lead an evacuation should one be necessary. And take fire safety and prevention very seriously; prevention is always less expensive than the damage you'll likely have to repair.

Address your fire protection and fire safety concerns for your Minneapolis business today. Call Brothers Fire at (800) 607-2767.

NFPA Poster Focuses on Fire Safety for Seniors

A brand new poster released by the National Fire Protection Association encourages seniors to develop an escape plan should a fire ever start in their place of residence. The poster, which measures at 8 and a half by 11 inches, would ideally be placed on bulletin boards of senior centers, churches, grocery stores, and other areas.

The posters can be downloaded for free from the NFPA website.

Learn more about how Brothers Fire Protection can help you keep your Minneapolis home or business safe in the event of a fire. Call us today at (800) 607-2767.

New Types of Fire Suppression Technologies

When most people think "fire suppression," they think of water-based sprinkler systems, and with good reason. For a long time, these were the most popular types of fire suppression systems. Today, however, there are a number of newer technologies that are starting to make inroads.

Compressed foam is one such fire suppression technology. This works in a similar way to a water-based sprinkler system, but won't damage electrical equipment like computers. Inergen is another type of fire suppressant that isn't new to fire protection specialists, specifically, but might be new to those who aren't familiar with the industry.

There will undoubtedly be more leaps in fire suppression technology as we move toward the future. Just know that water isn't the only source of protection! There are others that can help slow the growth of a fire or extinguish it completely, and actually cut down on damage done by the fire suppression system.

Contact Brothers Fire to talk more about how we can help your company with fire suppression!

Increasing Fire Code Access

The National Fire Protection Association has a great post over on its blog about how the Association views consumers who use the information it puts out -- code consumers, they're called. In the past, there used to be one way to view the information that NFPA put out, and that was by reading it in a book. Today, however, there are many more channels for information to travel through, and the NFPA has made an attempt to move more toward digital information:

"We’re meeting some of the market demand with electronic formats of our titles in PDF form. The common thread is that almost all of these variant formats replicate the printed book experience."

Eventually, the goal of the Association seems to be getting to a point where all fire code and building standards information is available no matter where you are and what device you're on. When that point is reached, you'll be able to customize it to fit your needs. It's definitely a step in the right direction, and we're looking forward to it!

Want to talk more about how Brothers Fire can assist you with your fire protection needs? Give us a call today at (800) 607-2767.

NFPA Conference & Expo Happening in June 2012

The National Fire Protection Association's annual Conference & Expo will be taking place on June 12, 2012, and it should be a great conference for those in the fire protection industry. New York City Firefighter Jay Jonas will be there, speaking about his time with Ladder 6 and his experience inside the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.

Jonas is now a deputy chief with the department, and will talk about the lessons taken away from that fateful day, as well as the improvements that have been made in the fire protection industry.

Here's a video of Jay Jonas speaking at the 9/11 memorial in New York.

The Expo will take place in Las Vegas, and registration is still open for those interested in attending.

If you're in need of fire protection services or products and you're located in Minnesota, we'd be more than happy to help. Give Brothers Fire a call today at (800) 607-2767, or visit our website at BrothersFire.com.

Interesting Facts about Fire Sprinklers

Fire sprinklers are effective tools in the fight against spreading fires in both homes and commercial office buildings. The fire sprinkler is not a new invention, nor an invention that came about in the past century. The concept behind the sprinkler is fairly old, and these devices have had quite a bit of time to accumulate some history. Here are some fun and interesting facts about fire sprinklers.

• Fire sprinklers have been used in the United States since 1874.
• It costs between $1-2 to build sprinklers into a new building, and between $1.50-2.50 to retrofit an existing building with sprinklers.
• A 1988 survey found that nearly half of hotels and motels had sprinkler systems installed. The number is likely higher today.
• Sprinkler installation makes up approximately 1% of the cost of a new building.
• A fire has never taken multiple lives in a fully sprinklered building.

Brothers Fire can help install a new sprinkler system in your home or commercial property. To learn more, contact us today at (800) 607-2767.

An Experimental Fire Alarm for the Deaf

Most fire alarms utilize a high-pitched sound that is tough to ignore. For those who can hear, it's hard not to hear such a fire alarm going off; even if you're asleep. The deaf, however, can't hear an audible alarm going off. If they're asleep, they also won't see a flashing light going off on a fire alarm, either.

That's where a new type of experimental fire alarm comes in.

Anyone who has tasted wasabi knows how potent and HOT this Japanese horseradish can be, especially in large doses. A new fire alarm utilizes wasabi to alert the deaf to potential dangers by spraying canned wasabi into a room. In test runs, this alarm managed to wake 13 out of 14 test subjects within 2 minutes.

Here's a video demonstrating the technology.



Get in touch with Brother's Fire if you have commercial fire alarm or sprinkler needs of your own. We can be reached by telephone at (800) 607-2767.

Fire Protection System Inspection and Service

Your fire protection system is a vital part of your space. It alerts those who work or live in that space to potential fire danger, and can also suppress some fires and keep the inhabitants of a building safe. For these reasons alone, it is extremely important to have your fire protection system inspected and serviced regularly.

Brothers Fire can help keep your fire suppression system, as well as your fire alarms, functioning properly should you ever need them. If you want to learn more about these services, please give us a call at (800) 607-2767.

2012 Annual Forum Announced by Fire Suppression Systems Association

The Fire Suppression Systems Association (FSSA), a not-for-profit organization consisting of manufacturers, suppliers and installers, has announced the dates for its Annual Forum. The event will be held from February 25 through February 28, 2012, and will take place in Rancho Mirage, California. You can learn more about the event by visiting the FSSA website at FSSA.net.

Interested in finding a qualified fire protection company the Upper Midwest? Look no further than Brothers Fire. You can learn more about the services and products we offer by calling (800) 607-2767.

Winterizing Your Sprinkler Systems

Along with annually maintaining and inspecting your fire sprinkler systems, business owners should be prepared to have their systems winterized on an annual basis. Whether the system is dry or chemical-based shouldn't make a difference in deciding whether to have it done.

Brothers Fire Protection of the Upper Midwest is more than capable of winterizing commercial fire protection systems. For more information on this valuable service, please see our Winterizing Fire Sprinkler Systems service page at www.BrothersFire.com. 

The NFPA's Fire Sprinkler Initiative

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has launched its Fire Sprinkler Initiative, and as part of this movement, it released this video of a single-head fire sprinkler system in action. Watch the video below or learn more about the Fire Sprinkler Initiative at www.FireSprinklerInitiative.org.

 

DuPont FM200 Fire Sprinkler System at Work

DuPont makes great fire sprinkler systems, and the FM200 is one of the best known. See it in action by watching the video below.