Minneapolis Life Safety Service Offerings

As a nearby Minneapolis life safety services provider, Brothers Fire Protection is dedicated to providing your business or commercial property and its occupants with the best possible fire awareness and prevention services. We know how important this is for business owners, and we want to help you achieve the safest working environment to your employees. Minneapolis business owners know they have to provide employees, occupants and visitors with the best possible life safety services. Two of the biggest are fire alarms and fire suppression systems.

Fire Suppression

When Brothers Fire Protection installs your fire suppression system, we work with you and your commercial property to design and create the perfect system for your Minneapolis life safety system needs. These are easy to supply, but can be challenging to implement if you don’t know all the technical details. These systems can save lives, and data and equipment. You’ll feel more comfortable knowing your facility is protected by a fire suppression system.

Fire Alarms

Another great tool for better outfitting your Minneapolis property’s life safety services is a fire alarm system. These are capable of notifying building occupants of possible, impending danger. While you should have a plan in place, you also should have warning signals installed in order to better offset the danger.

To take advantage of the life safety services we provide for Minneapolis businesses and commercial properties, call us today at 1-800-607-2767 or Request a Free Quote.

Different Types of Brooklyn Park Fire Alarms

Fire, when properly controlled, can be very useful. Unfortunately, when left uncontrolled, fire can be a very destructive force. Acting too late in the case of your Brooklyn Park commercial property can not only cause the loss of your property, but can also cause the loss of life as well. That’s why it’s so necessary to have Brooklyn Park fire alarms installed.

Fire alarms in Brooklyn Park are designed to alert employees, residents, tenants, customers and clients on the possibility of a fire in their business, multi-housing facility or intuitional building. However, it’s important to choose the right type of Brooklyn Park fire alarm for your needs, as certain ones are more suited for certain places and situation.

Here are the different types of Brooklyn Park fire alarms. And while many use the term “smoke alarm” interchangeably with “fire alarm,” but smoke alarms detect smoke and not the actual fire. These types of alarms come often in two types:

Photoelectric

Photoelectric alarms “see” the smoke, and as Brooklyn Park fire alarms, are very responsive to smoldering fires or those that generate a lot of smokes. Photoelectric alarms are perfect for areas that have lots of items like PVC or foam. Generally though, these types of Brooklyn park fire alarms are more expensive than the next type.

Ionization

Ionization alarms detect invisible particles caused by combustion. Instead of seeing the smoke, ionization alarms feel the smoke, and can best detect flaming fires with no visible smoke. These types of Brooklyn Park fire alarms should not be placed in kitchens and similar areas due to false alarm susceptibility. Since they do contain a bit of radioactive material, it’s best to be careful.

Call us at 1-800-607-2767 or Click Here to Request a Free Estimate for Brooklyn Park Fire Alarms. 

Why Install a Commercial Fire Alarm System in Maple Grove?

For businesses and other commercial properties in Maple Grove, one of the worst things that could befall them is for a fire to break out, causing destruction of property and belongings. Even worse, employees, customers and tenants could be injured.

Trying to come back from a fire is not easy. Businesses have to replace everything and try to get back to normalcy, which is not easy and causes valuable time to be consumed. As a result, many businesses can go under. So, it’s important to have a commercial fire alarm system installed in your Maple Grove business or commercial property.

Here are some points to strongly consider:

·         Once you have a Maple Grove fire alarms professional install the necessary systems, you, employees and tenants/customers can feel more relaxed knowing there is a serious fire safety solution in the building.

·         Advanced fire alarm systems include assistance by providing necessary instructions to occupants to exit the premises upon a fire outbreak. These systems save lives by detecting where the fire is, and directing people away from impacted areas.

·         Installations help to reassure employees and clients that if a fire did not break out, they are not at risk of being impacted by the fire. The system will alert occupants the moment a fire breaks out. These systems are also wired to response centers, which will call local fire service authorities. This will give them a head start, allowing them to stop the fire from spreading and causing total destruction.

·         Fire can drain your business of its energy and cause your employees and clients to lose faith in the operation. Since these systems are now more affordable than ever, you can’t afford not to have one.

Looking for the best fire alarm systems in Maple Grove MN? Give us a call today at 1-800-607-2767.

Fire Alarms for Minneapolis Businesses

Every Minneapolis business should have a fire protection plan in place, and this means more than just having a Minneapolis fire alarms company install a system. As one article noted:

In fact, whether it is taking fire protection measures in Minnesota at your office or practicing fire prevention at home, just be sure to that you are ready, in the event of the worst.

How do you make sure you're ready? Have an exit route and emergency action plan in place. Also have a fire prevention plan put together. Taking these important steps will help to save lives in the event of an emergency.

Read the entire article: "A Fire Protection Plan for Your Business." 

Maximizing Your Fire Protection

Fire protection is an important thing for any business to have. As one article noted:

In fact, studies show that for the U.S. alone 6,000 workplace fires occur annually.

 If you're thinking of upgrading your Minneapolis fire alarms, here are some things to keep in mind:

• Pay attention to basic security measures like keeping windows and doors locked after business hours. 
• Keep combustible materials and dumpsters away from smoking areas. 
• Use extension cords that are only in good condition. 
• Have a fire protection plan. 

Read the entire article: "Fire Protection and You." 

Fire Suppression: Choosing an Effective System

When it comes to Brooklyn Park fire protection systems, it's important to choose one that helps to protect those assets that can't be replaced, like your family, friends, co-workers, employees, etc. As one article noted:

An effective fire suppression system is one of the most valuable investments one can make. They serve a two-fold security purpose: They can prevent fires from starting and spreading, and they also provide a sense of comfort to the owner, who knows his or her structure is equipped to deal with a blaze.

So, how do you about choosing the perfect system? You'll need to determine your budget, find possible installers, contact potential companies and finally narrow down the list to the final selection. The more time you're willing to invest in the research, the better off your final selection will be.

Read the entire article: "Choosing an effective fire suppression system."

Good Plan + Fire Protection System = Lives Saved

When it comes to saving lives and minimizing the loss of property, there's nothing as valuable as a good fire protection system. You can do several things to enhance your employees' safety, and one of these is a comprehensive fire safety inspection, which points out potential fire dangers. As one article noted:

A thorough fire safety inspection can point out hazards that could increase the potential for a fire to begin.

This inspection can also identify what could impede personnel from evacuating the building, including locked doors, equipment and materials inside or outside which can cause blockage when your Duluth fire alarms sound.

Education will help save your employees. By training them properly on fire safety procedures, you'll have a plan in place and save lives should the time ever come.

Read the entire article: "A Fire Protection System and a Good Plan Can Save Lives."

Remote Fire Alarm Monitoring Improved by New Technology

Remote fire alarm monitoring is an essential tool for any business or commercial property to have, as it notifies fire department(s) within seconds of an event being detected. This valuable security measure has saved countless lives and millions of dollars worth of property damage. Still, as one article noticed recently:

… rising communication expenses over the past few years have resulted in increased costs, although still justifiable.

Despite this, Duluth fire alarm monitoring services have eliminated recurring monthly communication expenses, and have improved reliability. These systems can be installed in a day at a reasonable cost, and monthly monitoring costs are more affordable than ever.

Read the entire article: “New Technology Improves Remote Fire Alarm Monitoring.” 

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!