No one wants to think about having a fire in their commercial building, but if you ever do, it will be so much worse if you’re not prepared. Having your fire safety system maintained by a reputable service company is an important part of this preparedness, as is having your fire alarms tested. Your commercial fire alarm is a very important part of your building. It alerts your employees and customers or clients that there is an emergency and allows them the time to evacuate safely. Fire alarms also help protect your property by alerting authorities if a fire breaks out when you’re not open. You need to be regularly testing your fire alarms as part of your fire system maintenance. Read on for three reasons why.

False Alarms

Regularly testing your fire alarms is key to preventing false alarms. A false alarm is when your fire alarm goes off but there is no fire. These are a headache, and they can definitely be cause for a lot of stress, but they can be an even bigger problem than that. Repeated false alarms can result in a fine from your city government or the fire department. Avoid this by having the alarm tested to ensure it isn’t going off accidentally.

Insurance Regulations

Insurance companies often require proof of a working fire alarm system as well as proof of regular inspection and testing. If you can’t produce this proof, you could be found in violation of the terms of your insurance agreement and your insurance coverage could be dropped. If there was an emergency and someone was injured, your insurance company might even decide that you were liable and they wouldn’t cover the damages, since you didn’t maintain the system.

NFPA Codes

Some fire alarm testing is required by federal law. NFPA 72: National Fire Alarm And Signaling Code requires that commercial fire alarms be tested at least once per year. There may also be local, state, or regional codes and laws that require additional testing, so you should check with your local governments. Making sure you are in compliance is about more than avoiding fines. It is also about doing the right thing and keeping people safe.

The Absolute Supply and Services Purpose

As a minority- and woman-owned small business, Absolute Supply and Services is dedicated to providing quality customer services and products. We offer high-quality equipment, replacement parts, and service solutions to support general contractors, subcontractors, building engineers, and other industry professionals. Our wide range of services includes electrical services, HVAC services, fire protection, IT solutions, janitorial services, plumbing services, and safety supplies.

Absolute Supply and Services serves states throughout the East Coast and currently have partners located in Washington, DC, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, West Virginia, and Florida. Contact us at 301.456.4927 or at one of our four Maryland offices, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Youtube, and keep up with our blog!