Protec

Fire Alarm System

A fire alarm system can be as basic or complex as required by the size of your building and fire action plans. At its core, a fire alarm serves the purpose of alerting the occupants of a building so they can evacuate the building in a safe and efficient manner.

Fire alarms can be triggered by manually, typically accomplished by breaking a specialised layer of glass and pressing a switch. For larger sites, you can additionally incorporate smoke and heat detectors, which automatically triggers the alarm when they detect sufficient levels of heat or smoke.

The system can also incorporate a number of first-response mechanisms, such as ceiling sprinklers and immediate alerts to emergency services. If required, it can additionally be connected to the security access system in the building to disable certain doors to allow for prompt evacuation.

Fire Extinguishers

Depending on the type of fire and the combustible involved (the object/s currently on fire), you need to use different fire extinguishers to douse the flames effectively. There are 5 main types of extinguishers, and they are colour coded and used as follows:

• Water: used for solid combustibles such as wood, cloth, and paper. It's recognisable by white border lines around the body of the canister.
• Foam: signified by the solid cream-coloured band, foam fire extinguishers are suitable for solid materials and liquid fires.
• CO2: Carbon dioxide extinguishers are easily recognised by the bell-shaped applicator, and is specialised for electrical fires.
• Dry Powder: suitable for gas, solid, and liquid fires, it's a versatile piece of kit which is represented by a blue band around the main body.
• Wet Chemical: the only extinguisher suitable for fires which involve cooking fats and oils, this yellow-coloured fire extinguisher is often found in kitchens.