Even a minor fire can threaten the lives of your people and do severe damage to your structures and equipment. As such, your facility’s fire safety system is one of its most crucial assets. It’s also one of the most varied, featuring multiple devices such as portable extinguishers, alarm systems, sprinklers, pumps, suppression systems, blankets, fireproof coatings, and more. With so much at stake and so many components in play, maintaining your entire system can be a challenge. Here are four tips for fire and safety system maintenance.

Fire System Maintenance Best Practices

1. Perform Routine Inspections of All System Components

If even one aspect of your fire safety system breaks down, your facility is more susceptible to fire damage. In order to ensure the ongoing functionality of your fire safety system, you must closely inspect each component periodically. During a periodic visual examination, facility management inspectors will look for physical obstructions, signs of damage, orientation/calibration of devices, the level of component cleanliness, and so on. These examinations will also account for changes that might affect the system’s efficacy, like adjustments in facility layout, occupancy, or internal environmental conditions.

2. Test Fire Safety Devices and Protocols at Varying Intervals

While visual cues can point to potential problems with your fire safety system, they only tell part of the story. In order to gauge the functionality and effectiveness (or lack thereof) of your various fire safety components, you must run regular tests. A maintenance service that specializes in fire safety testing will make sure that the system remains compliant with relevant fire codes and take note of any deficiencies that may arise. These specialists will use various tools to measure smoke detectors, electronic sensors, emergency control functions, and much more. The frequency of this testing will vary depending on the component in question and the needs of your facility -- some tests can occur once per year while others should be performed more often.

3. Stay on Top of Preventative Maintenance

Routine inspections and tests will help catch problems with your fire safety systems early on, but if you wish to prevent these problems from occurring in the first place, you must keep up with preventative maintenance and other building maintenance measures. For fire safety systems, preventative maintenance covers numerous tasks, such as changing out batteries at steady intervals (or as needed), cleaning all components (i.e. smoke detectors, ventilation systems, extinguishers, etc.), updating fire safety software, recalibrating equipment, and more.

4. Invest in New Fire Safety Technology when Appropriate

Even the best building maintenance services cannot do much about outdated fire safety components -- over time, certain pieces of equipment and software simply become obsolete. Indeed, if your fire safety system has not been adjusted or updated in significant ways for several years or decades, it’s probably time to invest in a new one (or at least new components). Installing the latest fire safety technology will allow you to more easily keep up with applicable fire codes and ensure the safety of your people, property, and assets.

A modern, functional, efficient fire safety system is an essential shield that protects your people and property from furious flames. Make sure you take the proper steps to maintain its many components. At The Budd Group, our maintenance specialists are equipped to inspect, test, maintain, repair, and replace your fire safety system when necessary. To learn more about our services and values, give us a call today at 800-221-8158!