October Is Fire Prevention Month

October is Fire Prevention Month, so we’re doing our part to raise fire safety awareness and help businesses protect their people and property. With help from local fire departments, we’re educating businesses and the communities they serve to ensure they’re prepared during Fire Prevention Week and Month and throughout the year.

What Is Fire Prevention Month?

Fire Prevention Month is observed annually in October, with Fire Prevention Week its primary focus. Its history can be traced to the Great Chicago Fire that occurred from October 8-10, 1871, killing over 300 people, destroying over 17,000 structures, and leaving 100,000 people homeless.

The first National Fire Prevention Day proclamation was signed by President Woodrow Wilson in 1920. In 1925, President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed Fire Prevention Week a nationwide observance, making it the country’s most enduring public health tradition.

Fire Prevention Month extends fire preparedness campaigns throughout October, providing more time to educate businesses and promote awareness of fire safety and prevention initiatives for commercial buildings and structures.

Fire Prevention Checklist

This year’s Fire Prevention Week occurred from October 8 to 14, but National Fire Prevention Month is still being observed. To help your business mark the month, here are some of our favorite tips for keeping your building safe and, most importantly, the people in it.

Inspect Your Commercial Fire Sprinkler System

The Northeast States Emergency Consortium reports that, while the risk of fire is difficult to predict, it’s primarily based on a commercial structure’s location and the presence of sprinklers and other fire safety systems.

Routine fire sprinkler inspections and testing help identify potential issues like clogged pipes, malfunctioning valves, and damaged sprinkler heads that can affect the system’s performance. Immediately addressing these and other conditions keeps your commercial sprinkler system fully operational and ready to suppress fires swiftly.

Check Fire Extinguishers

Fire extinguishers are crucial to fire safety in any business or industry. They protect people, property, and other valuable assets from the catastrophic effects of a fire. OSHA mandates fire extinguisher training, and Fire Prevention Month is an excellent time to schedule this required instruction.

Annual inspections and testing by qualified, credentialed professionals ensure your extinguishers work as they should when needed and confirm they are:

• In the correct locations.
• Aren’t damaged.
• Are properly recharged.
• Have unaltered seals.
• They are easily accessible to everyone.
• Have legible dating tags for maintenance.

Prepare an Evacuation Plan

All employees should know how and where to evacuate the building safely in case of a fire. Escape routes should be clearly posted throughout the building so visitors can also find their way out. Conducting regular fire drills ensures everyone knows the best evacuation route based on their location.

Declutter Pathways and Exits

Stacks of boxes, piles of paper, and other combustibles should be kept away from heat sources and out of hallways, exits, and window areas. Another reason to keep your business clutter-free is that all that debris can help a fire spread more quickly. While de-cluttering, remove cords and other tripping hazards to avoid harming anyone as they try to exit the property during an emergency.

Fire Detection Equipment

Building fire detection systems should also be regularly inspected, tested, maintained, and, when necessary, replaced. Check your building’s fire alarms, which should be placed on every level and ideally integrated with other building control systems.

Properly working commercial smoke alarms can help decrease the chances of someone dying in a fire by half. Hardwired smoke detectors should be installed on every floor of your commercial property and in every stairwell. Refer to your location’s local building regulations for additional details.

Choose Firetech Sprinkler Corp. for Fire Safety Solutions You Can Depend On

We hope these suggestions have helped raise your fire safety awareness and given you useful ideas for making your commercial property safer. Commercial fire sprinkler services from Firetech are designed to protect all types of buildings and facilities throughout Vermont, New Hampshire, northeastern New York, and beyond.

As the region’s leading commercial fire sprinkler company, you can rely on our professionalism and expertise to deliver the highest level of service, ensuring your commercial building is prepared during Fire Prevention Month and all year. We also offer fire pump and backflow preventer services.

To learn more about fire safety tips or schedule services, call 802-655-1800.