Fire alarms are essential components of any building’s fire safety system by alerting employees and visitors of an emergency, and protecting lives and business assets. While having fire alarms is a good first step in protecting your employees and infrastructure, building and business owners should consider the benefits of fire alarm monitoring.
Installing a fire alarm monitoring system can provide peace of mind and further protect lives and assets from potentially dangerous situations. According to fire codes, fire alarms are a requirement, and in many situations, so are fire alarm monitoring systems. It's crucial that building owners and managers understand what fire safety systems are needed to protect employees and adhere to codes and regulations.
How Does A Fire Alarm Monitoring System Work?
Most people are familiar with fire alarms and what to do in a fire emergency when an alarm sounds, but what happens next? In some situations, it’s left to employees or building managers to call 911 as soon as they can to request help. If that call is delayed, irreparable damage can occur, and people and property could be put at risk.
With fire alarm monitoring, once the fire alarm sounds within the building, the monitoring system will automatically alert a chosen third-party monitoring company of the emergency. From there, the monitoring company can dispatch the appropriate responders to the location. The automatic nature of fire alarm monitoring means valuable time isn’t lost between the start of the emergency and first responders arriving on the scene.
The communication to the monitoring company can happen through standard phone lines (POTS Lines), internet protocol (IP), and cellular transmission, meaning buildings can always install a fire alarm monitory system, no matter the building location or current IT infrastructure.
Additionally, a fire alarm monitoring system protects your building round the clock, even after business hours and on weekends.
Benefits of A Fire Alarm Monitoring System
There are many benefits to installing a fire alarm monitoring system, including the following.
24/7 monitoring allows for full protection of the building and ensures emergency situations will be addressed, even when no one is present.
- Immediate and automatic alerts are sent to the monitoring company, reducing the time it takes for emergency responders to be dispatched.
- Professional fire safety technicians install the system and provide inspection, maintenance, and repair services to keep the system performing effectively.
- Reliable communication channels are guaranteed with a fire alarm monitoring system so there is no misunderstanding of who is responsible for calling emergency services.
- Fire alarm monitoring systems not only provide peace of mind for building and business owners that their property, assets and personnel are protected, it can also be required by national or local fire codes and regulations depending on the building use.
Is a Fire Alarm Monitoring System Necessary?
If you rely only on a fire alarm to protect your workplace in an emergency situation, responding to a fire in a timely manner may be a challenge in one way or another. A delay in contacting emergency services could result in damages to your property, or loss of life.
Installing a fire alarm monitoring system within your establishment can be a key aspect of your building’s fire protection and life safety system. Trusting trained technicians to install and maintain the system is a worthwhile investment to protect your business and employees.
