If you're a property owner building a new multi-family housing unit or upgrading an existing one, installing new and improved fire safety systems is a smart move. Not only will such a system protect your tenants, it can also help protect your property from extensive damage. Fire control systems also make financial sense. Insurance rates on the property may be lower, plus the system raises the value of the property —which pays off in the ability to charge higher rents or to eventually sell at a higher price. The following are some fire control systems you should consider installing.
Sprinkler systems
A sprinkler system may be one of the best investments for safety that you can make. It's a good idea to install sprinklers in all common areas of your property, including laundry rooms, rec rooms, and hallways. You can also have in-unit sprinklers installed. Some property owners opt to install sprinklers throughout the entire unit, while others only provide a sprinkler system in high-risk areas like the kitchen. You can even install sprinklers in patio roofs, which can be a good idea if you allow your tenants to use outdoor grills. New technology ensures sprinklers only go off when they are truly needed.
Monitoring services
A fire monitoring service means that your property is being monitored by real people so that fire trucks are dispatched quickly if an alarm sounds. This can be a major improvement on traditional fire alarms, which depend upon your tenants hearing the alarm and calling in the fire. Monitoring services for fire can be a stand-alone option or it can be integrated with a unit-by-unit security system. The service will be notified not just if an alarm goes off, but also by smoke sensors they will place throughout your property. The service can even tell when a smoke detector isn't working properly or needs a new battery, which then allows them to alert your maintenance crew.
Smoke control systems
Most fires are relatively small and the actual damage from the flames are minimal. The real risk to your property and to anyone on site at the time of a fire is smoke, yet smoke control systems are often overlooked. Systems can be stand-alone or you can have them integrated into your HVAC system. The system will route smoke out of the building in the event of a fire. At a minimum, the system should be designed to work in common areas and in kitchens. A small kitchen fire, for example, my leave no lasting damage from the flames, but the smell of smoke and it's greasy residue could cause extensive damage to the unit and to neighboring units.
For more help, talk to a fire and smoke control testing consultant.
