As a company who has been based in Southern California for 83 years, and lead by three different generations of native San Diegans, we have seen our share of fires. California alone is known to employs nearly 27,000 firefighters who smother an average of 5,600 wildfires per year; that is more than any other state in the US! The fact is simple; if your business is located in California, you are taking a risk. (Even more so if you are not being monitored and protected against fire!) Although it is next to impossible to fully prevent a fire from occurring, there are some simple steps to take to minimize your risk of fore and the worry associated with it.
1. Have a fire extinguisher(s) on each floor of your building and make sure your managers know how to use it properly.
2. Instill a smoking policy. Whatever policy you decide, keep in mind that smoking should only be allowed in an open courtyard with plenty of ventilation, and deep ashtrays should be used at all times (i.e. employees should not put cigarette butts out on the cement).
3. Make sure your break-room kitchen appliances (coffee maker, toaster, microwave etc.) are plugged into DIFFERENT receptacle outlets.
4. Remove all volatile substances off of the premise that are not needed for your daily business operations. This includes any substances in your workplace that increase your fire risk, such as rubbing alcohol, paints and paint thinners, gas cans, grease, butane, or liquor.
5. TRAIN your employees on overall office safety practices! Hold a refresher course every couple months to remind everyone proper safety procedures, especially concerning what to do in the event of a fire.
However, statistics show that arson is the leading cause of office building fires. In these instances, even the best safety protocol could not prevent such a fire from occurring. This is where our top fire safety tip comes in. We recommend contacting your security company and have them monitor your business for fire as well. When a security company monitors your building for fire, response time in the event of an emergency is typically much quicker than waiting for a Good Samaritan to call 911.
Scheduled testing of the fire monitoring devices is also required so you can rest assured the equipment is working properly. And with fire systems like our Wi-Fi Wireless Fire Monitoring, you can eliminate the cost of a dedicated phone line for your fire system and see an ROI in an average of 8 months! Visit http://www.sdasecurity.com/products-services/fire-water-env-monitor/ to learn more information or get a quote on a fire system today.