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Fire Protection vs. Fire Prevention

Everyone who owns a home, business, apartment complex or other property shares the same goal: keep the building and the people inside safe from fire. Which method is superior for accomplishing this goal, fire protection or fire prevention? Actually, they go hand in hand, and both are vitally important for a comprehensive fire safety plan.

Fire Protection

When you protect your home or business, you take measures in advance to defend it in case something goes awry. In the case of fire protection, this means ensuring the building is set up to fight a fire if a blaze breaks out. Here are some important fire protection steps you can take:

Install Fire Alarms and Smoke Detectors

The foremost priority of fire protection is to make sure the occupants of your building are safe. That’s why fire alarms and smoke detectors are the foundation of any fire protection system. These devices detect heat and smoke, sounding the alarm so everyone in the building can evacuate to safety.

Install Fire Suppression Systems

The next priority is to stop the spread of fire to limit damage to your property and merchandise/belongings. Comprehensive fire suppression systems include multiple components, including:

Fire Prevention

Prevention is all about stopping something harmful from happening. In this way, fire prevention strives to keep a blaze from breaking out in the first place. These fire prevention steps are your first line of defense against rogue flames:

Perform a Risk Assessment

By identifying weak areas that make your building more susceptible to fire, you can begin to perform improvements that increase your chances of staying fire-free.

Teach Your Staff or Family Members Good Fire Prevention Tricks

Make sure everyone takes fire safety seriously and discourage activities that could increase fire risk. Smoking indoors, leaving lit candles unattended, overloading power outlets or forgetting to unplug the curling iron are all activities that could lead to a fire. By increasing awareness and knowledge about these hazards, you reduce human error and decrease the chance of fire.

Build the Premises to Resist the Spread of Fire

Buildings with a wooden structure are more likely to be completely destroyed if a fire breaks out. Modern building techniques include installing fire curtains and concrete walls to help prevent fires in the first place and curtail the spread of a blaze if one should break out. These techniques make the elements of a fire protection system more efficient at dousing the blaze before too much damage is done.

Adhere to Fire Regulations

It’s important to follow the recommended guidelines for inspecting and testing your fire protection equipment. Installation is a vital first step, but neglect can result in a non-functional fire extinguisher, sprinkler or smoke detector when you need it most. Some other common Houston fire regulations you should follow include using fire retardant fabrics and upholstery, cleaning wood-burning fireplaces regularly, and leaving all electrical work to a qualified electrician.

Choose Kauffman Co. for Fire Protection in Houston

Clearly, fire prevention is important for stopping a blaze in the first place, but fire protection is equally vital for putting the fire out if one should start. To learn more about fire safety in your home or commercial building, please contact Kauffman Co. online or call us at (713) 893-1090 today.

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