Why Are Fire Alarms So Loud?

When you hear the sound of a fire alarm, it is probably one of the loudest sounds you will ever hear. The shrillness and loudness are intended to startle everyone in the building into action. A faint fire alarm would be useless. In this blog post, we will explore why fire alarms are so loud.

 

How Loud are Fire Alarms?

NFPA 72 details the criteria for fire alarm notification appliances, which come in two varieties: audible and visual.

  • The horn and siren create an audible warning, which ranges from 65 to 120 decibels (dB) when placed 10 feet away.
  • Strobe lights alert you to danger with a visible signal that flashes once per second at 15 to 1,000 candelas.

There’s no doubt that exposure to loud noises can harm your hearing. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), 85 decibels and above is the hearing loss threshold.

 

Fire Alarm Volumes are Not All the Same

The objective of a fire alarm is to ensure that everyone in the building knows to leave. NFPA rules state that fire alarm horns and sirens should be louder than surrounding noises.

The minimum acceptable level is 15 dB above the average noise level or 5 dB above the maximum ambient sound, whichever is greater. This implies fire alarm horns may be set to 75 dB for a restaurant or office environment, but an industrial facility with loud equipment may need to sound off closer to 120 dB for the sound to stand out from other noises.

The high-volume needs for fire alarms accounts for that sound losing its perceived loudness as it gets farther from the horn, and building materials absorb noise, especially when doors are shut between rooms. To ensure that the sound reaches every corner of the structure, generating a loud decibel level at the source is necessary.

 

Protecting Your Hearing

When the shrill sound of a fire alarm pierces your ears, your first impulse is to cover them. While you walk calmly toward the exit and out of the building, covering your ears effectively prevents hearing loss.

However, the most significant thing is establishing a fire evacuation strategy and regularly conducting fire drills. This way, your employees are more particular about what measures to take and where to flee in an emergency. You may reduce tension and exposure time by planning.

Finally, if you believe the decibel level of your fire alarm is too loud, get a professional to inspect your equipment and determine whether it’s safe and in compliance with NFPA 72. Your expert will ensure the volume is appropriate for safety and conformance with NFPA 72.

 

Where are Your Fire Alarms? 

You may now be more aware of how loud fire alarms can become and why they are so crucial for safety in your house, so you might want to look at the ones you already have.

Now is the time to replace fire alarms if you’re missing any. Please don’t put it off until later; be proactive! Check out our page to learn more about how we can assist you in keeping yourself and your family safe.

 

Are you missing fire extinguishers too? Contact Fire-Alert today to see how we can help!

Do you have a fire action plan for your home or workplace yet? If not, you may want to get one in place. A fire action plan outlines the steps that everyone should take in the event of a fire, and it’s hard to understate its importance. It can not only help minimize the damage caused by a quickly spreading fire, but it can also save lives.

If you’re still not convinced, follow along for more on the importance of fire action plans.

 

Teaches Best Practices

Not everyone knows what to do in the event of a fire. Even if you think you have a good handle on it, it certainly doesn’t hurt to do a little prep work to check your knowledge. You may find that once you really start thinking about it, your natural instincts may not necessarily work out in practice.

Besides, if you’re in charge of a lot of employees or even the other members of your household, you want to ensure that everyone knows exactly what to do in order to stay safe. You may not be able to yell out instructions in the moment if someone is struggling to escape.

A fire action plan can help ensure that everyone knows what to do in the event of a fire, and that they know it well. This is especially true if you practice your plan and conduct fire drills on a regular basis. That way, when a fire does break out, everyone will be able to react quickly and efficiently.

 

Reduces Panic

When a fire suddenly breaks out, it can be a truly terrifying situation. It’s therefore completely understandable that a lot of people would panic, as it puts their lives in danger. However, this is not ideal in an emergency, as panic can cause us to lose our focus and behave erratically and irresponsibly. This can then lead to further disasters, such as tripping and falling or being unable to properly use fire extinguishers.

A fire action plan helps to reduce panic by giving people a clear and concise set of instructions to follow in the event of a fire. This can help to restore some order and calm during an otherwise chaotic situation.

 

Establishes a Clear Chain of Command

In the event of a fire, it’s important to have a clear chain of command. This helps ensure that everyone knows who is in charge, and that they are following the instructions of someone who is prepared for their role. This can be especially important in workplaces, where there may be a lot of people and confusion.

A fire action plan helps to establish a clear chain of command by clearly designating certain people to perform essential tasks. Ideally, these are people who are most likely to keep cool-headed and calm in an emergency. After all, you don’t want someone with an important job panicking when it matters most. You want to be confident that every step in the fire action plan runs smoothly and, most importantly, that everyone remains safe.

 

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An emergency assembly area, also referred to as an evacuation assembly area, is a designated spot where people are supposed to gather in the event of an emergency. This could apply to any type of emergency situation, from a fire to a natural disaster, or even something like a terrorist attack. However, no matter what the cause, the main goal of emergency assembly areas remains the same: to keep people safe.

 

In this blog post, we will discuss emergency assembly areas and provide some helpful tips on how to choose one for your building. Let’s get started!

 

What is an Emergency Assembly Area?

As touched upon above, an emergency assembly area is a designated meeting place for people to go to in the event of an evacuation. However, it’s important to note that this isn’t intended to be the final safety destination. Instead, an emergency assembly area acts as more of a midpoint between the emergency and safety. 

 

You may be wondering, why not just head all the way to safety? After all, it’s an emergency! While that may be true, the main purpose of this area is to help keep people safe and accounted for during an evacuation. Meeting up and checking in with everyone at a midpoint provides a good opportunity to conduct a head count and make sure there’s no one left at the emergency site.

 

How Do You Choose an Emergency Evacuation Area?

Now that we know a bit more about emergency assembly areas, let’s discuss how to go about choosing one. There are several factors you’ll need to take into consideration when making your selection. The following are a few of the most important things to keep in mind.

 

Size

One of the first things you’ll want to consider is the size of your emergency assembly area. Of course, you’ll ideally want a large enough area to accommodate everyone in your building. However, depending on your location, this isn’t always possible. If you don’t have enough space to fit everyone, try to make the best of it by choosing an area that’s large enough to at least accommodate the majority of your employees.

 

Location

The location of your emergency assembly area is also important. When choosing a spot, you’ll first want to make sure it’s far enough away from the evacuation site. This is why emergency assembly areas are often outside, as it helps to ensure that everyone remains at a safe distance from the potential danger.

 

You’ll also want to make sure the area is easily accessible. If it’s too difficult to reach, people may have a hard time getting there, and every second counts in an emergency. Try to choose an area that’s easy enough for everyone to get to, but not so close that it puts them in danger.

 

Safety

Last but not least, you’ll want to consider the safety of the area. This is probably the most important factor to take into consideration when choosing an emergency assembly area. After all, the whole point is to keep people safe! 

 

When assessing the safety of a potential location, there are a few questions you’ll want to ask yourself. Is the area:

  • Well-lit?
  • Free from potential hazards?
  • Easily accessible by those with special needs?

If you can answer yes to all of these questions, then the area is probably a good choice for an emergency assembly area.

 

Want another way to prepare your building for an emergency? Contact Fire-Alert today to learn more about our fire extinguisher services!

 

When it comes to emergency evacuation procedures, you can never be too prepared. In this blog post, we will discuss the steps that you need to take to build the ultimate emergency evacuation procedure checklist. By following these tips, you can ensure that your business is ready for any type of emergency situation.

 

Step 1: Identify Potential Hazards

The first step in creating your emergency evacuation procedure checklist is to identify the potential hazards that could affect your business. This could include fires, severe weather, floods, or even earthquakes.  Once you have identified the potential hazards, you can begin to create your checklist.

 

Step 2: Plan a Response

The next step in creating your emergency evacuation procedure checklist is to plan a response to each possible hazard situation. This includes deciding everyone’s roles in the event of an evacuation, the safest routes out of the building, where everyone will meet, and how you will communicate with employees during the process.

 

It is important to have a clear and concise plan that everyone can follow, including those with disabilities. In fact, those who may need assistance during an evacuation may benefit from a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan, or PEEP. Be sure to include any special considerations as part of your overall evacuation plan.

 

Step 3: Prepare Your Emergency Kits

The third step in creating your emergency evacuation procedure checklist is to prepare your emergency kits. This should include all of the supplies that you may need in the event of an evacuation, such as flashlights, batteries, first-aid supplies, and food and water. Make sure that everyone on staff knows where these emergency kits are located and how to use the supplies. 

 

In addition, you should also include any medications that your staff may need in the event of an evacuation. This could include things like asthma inhalers or insulin. By including these items in your emergency kits, you can ensure that everyone on your staff has the supplies they need to stay safe and healthy during an evacuation.

 

Step 4: Make Sure Everyone Knows the Plan

The fourth and final step in creating your emergency evacuation procedure checklist is to make sure that everyone on your staff knows the plan. There’s no use in coming up with detailed evacuation procedures if people don’t know about them!

 

The first thing you should do is post clear signage throughout the building so that everyone knows where to find the emergency exits, kits, and safety equipment. An evacuation map or diagram showing the different routes and locations throughout the building would also be helpful.

 

Once you’ve gone over the plans with your employees and showed them where to find the signs, you’ll then want to start organizing regular evacuation drills. This is crucial, as it’s important to see how your evacuation plan works in practice. You may find that you need to tweak your plan here and there to make it as safe and effective as possible, so be sure not to skip this step. 

 

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While they may not seem like the best use of company time, you should never underestimate the importance of holding regular fire drills in the workplace. In fact, according to the Ontario Fire Code, they’re required by law. Fire drills must be conducted in most commercial buildings at least once every 12 months, and in others every 3 months.

 

This often leaves a lot of owners and managers wondering: why do we need to spend so much company time on something that isn’t likely to happen? Can’t we just go over this during regular employee training?

 

It may seem like a waste of time, but there are some real benefits to regularly running through these procedures with your employees. Keep reading to learn how fire drill procedures can improve your building’s safety.

 

Practice Makes Perfect

If you want to be good at something you need to practice, and that’s exactly what you’re doing by holding regular fire drills. By having everyone in the building practice proper procedure in a simulated but safe environment, you can feel confident that they’ll know exactly what to do to keep themselves and others safe in a real emergency.

 

Now, it is true that some people may panic so much in a fire that their memories fly out the window, but you certainly can’t use that as an excuse to skip out on fire drills. Besides, by holding them regularly, you may be able to prevent some of that panic because people are so used to going through the procedures. It’s not just your confidence that increases with regular fire drills – it’s your employees’ too.

 

Evaluate Effectiveness

This is one of the most important things about holding regular fire drills: it allows you to evaluate the effectiveness of your fire safety plan. Sometimes, something that sounds good in theory doesn’t work out in practice, and you certainly don’t want to take any chances when there’s an emergency.

 

Fire drills are a great chance to see your plan in action, and allow you to make changes to your procedures as necessary. A lot can happen in a building between yearly or quarterly fire drills that may throw off your plan, so you should use these drills as opportunities to catch these changes and make adjustments. There’s no use in having a fire safety plan and procedure if it’s not keeping everyone safe, so make sure you’re on top of everything.

 

Make Sure You Have the Right Person for the Job

A lot of fire safety plans assign certain responsibilities to certain employees, and it’s essential to know that they understand their assignments and will be able to carry them out in an emergency. You can’t have someone dropping the ball if they’re playing a major role in keeping everyone safe, so it’s important to see them in action during the drills.

 

For example, you may find out that one of your assigned employees can’t wield a fire extinguisher as well as they thought. You can then choose to assign that responsibility to someone else or invest in some fire safety training for that employee.

 

Want to learn more about fire extinguishers in the workplace? Contact Fire Alert today to see how we can help!

While it’s often a good idea to stay cool, calm, and collected whenever a fire breaks out, it’s not always a reality. Some people start to panic when they come face-to-face with the spreading smoke and flames. And who can blame them? A fire is a dangerous situation! It can be absolutely overwhelming when your safety is at risk, which can make it difficult to remember and follow proper fire safety procedures.

 

This panic is completely understandable, so experts have created certain acronyms to help make fire safety best practices easier to remember. RACE, for example, stands for Remove/Rescue, Alarm/Alert, Confine/Contain, and Extinguish/Evacuate, and this is exactly what you need to do if you encounter a fire. Let’s take a closer look at the RACE acronym below.

 

Remove/Rescue

After you’ve been alerted to the presence of a fire, you should immediately stop what you’re doing and take a quick scan around the room. Not only is it important to make sure that you have a clear escape route, but you should also see if anyone else needs assistance getting out of the building. Sometimes, helping others can bring a sense of calmness to a chaotic situation, which can result in better decision-making during an emergency.

 

If you do happen to see others, focus on helping those who are injured or are otherwise unable to get to safety. Those who don’t have any issues should be able to get out themselves.

 

Alarm/Alert

Let others know about the fire. If the alarm system hasn’t been activated yet and it’s safe to do so, go ahead and pull the trigger. This will alert everyone else in the building and may also alarm the local fire department.

 

On the other hand, if you’re unable to get to a fire alarm pull station, then call 911 once you’ve reached safety. The operator will probably ask about your location, details about the fire, and if there are any injuries, so try and be ready with this information.

 

Confine/Contain

This is referring to confining/containing the fire, as it can help slow or stop it from spreading quickly around the area. Once everyone is safely out of the room or building housing the fire, you should try to close every door and window you pass as you make your way to safety.

 

However, make sure you’re not blocking or trapping anyone as you’re closing everything. Always keep your eyes and ears open as you make your way through the building just in case.

 

Extinguish/Evacuate

If the fire is small, you can safely reach a fire extinguisher, and you’re confident in your ability to use it, then attempt to put out the fire. Just remember to PASS:

 

  • Pull the pin to break the seal
  • Aim the nozzle of the extinguisher at the base of the fire
  • Squeeze the handles together
  • Sweep the nozzle from side-to-side

 

Those who aren’t confident in their extinguishing abilities or simply aren’t near one should just focus on evacuating the building. Remember, everyone’s safety should be the top priority in a fire, so don’t put yourself at risk if it isn’t necessary.

 

Want to learn more about fire extinguishers and other fire safety tips? Contact Fire-Alert today to see how we can help!

It may not be something that many of us want to think about, but it’s important that your family knows what to do if a fire breaks out in your home. Even the youngest members of your household should join in on the conversation, as it’s never too early to start teaching your kids about fire safety. In fact, research shows that children under 5 are twice as likely to die in a home fire than any other age group, so providing them with the right information could very well save lives.

Since it can be challenging to teach kids about such a serious topic, we’ve put together some tips on how to educate your family on fire safety. Check them out below.

 

Teach them the Basics

The most important thing for your kids to understand is that they should not go near the fire. Under no circumstances should they try to extinguish the fire or grab anything that is anywhere near the flames. Remind them that their possessions can be replaced, but they cannot. Their number one priority should be getting away from the fire and calling for help

 

Here are some other simple yet essential things to teach your kids:

 

  • Matches, lighters, and any other fire-related equipment are not toys, and should only be used by responsible adults
  • Fires spread quickly, so they need to get out of the area as quickly as possible
  • Crawl under the smoke while evacuating a building to help minimize smoke inhalation
  • Touch doorknobs to see if they’re hot – if so, find another exit
  • Stop, drop, and roll if their clothes catch fire
  • Never re-enter a burning building
  • Only call for help once safely outside

 

Plan and Practice Escape Routes Together

Fire drills aren’t just for school! It’s also important to plan and practice fire escape routes at home. After all, this is usually where your family spends most of its time together. By doing this on a regular basis, you can be confident that everyone will know what to do and where to go in an emergency situation.

 

The first thing to do is familiarize everyone with the sound of your home’s smoke alarms. They should all know exactly what to do when they hear that particular sound: start getting out of the building.

 

The next step should be finding the safest escape route. When designing your plan, it’s recommended that you identify at least two escape routes for every room. That way, if one happens to be blocked by fire, your family can quickly locate another way out. If one of your routes happens to be through a window, make sure it can be opened easily. You may even consider investing in escape ladders to throw out the window if it’s on the second story or higher.

 

Finally, come up with a designated outside meeting place. This is where everyone will immediately go after they’ve escaped the building.

 

It’s important to practice your fire escape plan regularly, as it will help everyone remember what to do if a fire breaks out in your home. By familiarizing your family with the basics of fire safety and your home escape plan, you can help protect them from a potentially dangerous, life-threatening situation.

 

Looking for more ways to help keep your family safe from fire? Learn about Fire-Alert’s residential services here.

 

While many people may not know everything about fire safety, they can almost certainly recognize one essential piece of equipment: the fire extinguisher. Indeed, this red fire-fighting device is often the first line of defense against small fires in many homes and businesses. However, it’s only going to be effective if you know how to use it properly.

 

While you can take a course in fire safety if you really want to get comfortable with a fire extinguisher, it’s not necessary. The next time you go to use a fire extinguisher, all you need to remember is PASS: Pull, Aim, Squeeze, and Sweep. Let’s learn more about the PASS method and other fire safety basics below.

 

What are the Different Classes of Fire Extinguishers?

Before you use an extinguisher, you need to make sure you have the right one for the type of fire. The following are the different classes of fires and extinguishers.

 

  • Class A: ordinary combustibles, like wood, paper, and cloth
  • Class B: flammable liquids like gas, paint, and oil
  • Class C: electrical fires
  • Class D: combustible metals and metal alloys
  • Class K: cooking fires with oils and fats

 

Look for one of these classifications on the label of a fire extinguisher to determine if it’s appropriate for the job.

What is the PASS Method in Fire Safety?

The PASS method is an easy way to remember how to use a fire extinguisher in an emergency. After verifying that you’re using the correct extinguisher for the type of fire, follow these steps:

 

1. Pull

The first thing you need to do is pull out the pin that prevents you from pressing the handle on the fire extinguisher. This is a safety feature that helps ensure the extinguisher won’t accidentally go off in someone’s hands.

 

Look for the pin near the top of the extinguisher. After you locate it, just pull it out to unlock the handle.

 

2. Aim

Standing from a safe distance, aim the nozzle low, toward the base of the fire.

 

3. Squeeze

Once the nozzle is pointing in the right direction, squeeze the handle. Try and squeeze it slowly and evenly for best results. Then, to stop the stream, simply release the handle.

 

4. Sweep

While squeezing, sweep the nozzle of the extinguisher from side-to-side. Make sure you’re always pointing toward the base of the flames as you sweep the area.

 

Can a Child Use a Fire Extinguisher?

Though the steps are fairly basic, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) doesn’t believe that children shouldn’t use portable fire extinguishers. This is due to many reasons, such as:

 

  • It’s against NFPA’s message to get out and stay out if they encounter a fire
  • They may not be able to judge whether the fire is small enough for an extinguisher
  • Children may not be physically capable of handling the extinguisher safely and effectively
  • They may not know what to do if the fire spreads

 

If an adult is around, they should always be the one to operate a fire extinguisher. Children should be taught to leave the situation as soon as possible.

 

Looking for fire extinguisher services for your home or business? Click here to contact Fire Alert today!

Even if you have every precaution in place, fires happen in the workplace. This is especially true when you work in an industry that deals with a lot of chemicals and other combustible materials. In fact, from 2011 – 2015, US fire departments responded to an average of about 37,910 industrial and manufacturing fires a year.

 

While fires may occur more often in these industries, office buildings and other types of businesses are certainly not exempt from the risk. Therefore, it’s important that every workplace has a fire evacuation plan in place. Even if you never have to use it, you’re better safe than sorry.

 

Here are the six steps to develop an effective fire evacuation place.

 

1. Assign Roles and Responsibilities

Establishing a clear chain of command will help the evacuation process go more smoothly. Consider adding the following roles to your plan.

 

  • The Environmental Health and Safety Manager is in charge of the planning and prep of the whole operation. They may be one of the last people to evacuate, as they are responsible for shutting doors behind everyone and completing the final headcount.
  • The Communication Lead is in charge of communication. They need to alert all employees of the fire and call the fire department.
  • Route Guides help direct everyone out of the building.
  • Floor Monitors work with the manager to make sure all employees have left the building. They are responsible for doing a final check of each area or room.

 

2. Establish a Communication Plan

If you have a Communication Lead, this will largely be their responsibility. After they notify the employees and fire department and everyone is safely outside, they may need to also contact others. For example, you don’t want delivery drivers, customers, and suppliers showing up if the building is on fire.

 

3. Create an Evacuation Map

Draw a map of your building and plan out your fire escape routes. Make sure you establish primary and secondary routes out of the building in case the fire blocks one of the paths.

 

When creating your evacuation map, ask yourself the following questions.

  • Where are there potential fire hazards in the building?
  • What are likely going to be the clearest routes?
  • Does the plan cover everyone in every possible area of the building?
  • Where is a safe meeting place outside the building?

 

4. Identify and Inspect Fire Safety Equipment

You likely have a variety of fire suppression and prevention tools at the workplace. Make sure you know how to use your fire extinguishers, detectors, alarms, and sprinkler systems, and that they’re inspected regularly.

5. Do Some Fire Drills

To make sure you have everything covered, run through your fire evacuation plan with your employees. Make sure everyone knows what to do and where to go if a fire breaks out at your workplace. You may even want to go through a fire drill on a regular basis to help ensure that no one forgets what to do in an emergency.

 

6. Identify Areas for Improvement and Adjust Accordingly

If you identify some areas for improvement during a drill, then adjust your plan accordingly for the next ones. You may even need to report and document these drills and changes, so be sure to check your company’s policies and safety requirements.

 

Need some advice from fire and safety specialists? Contact our team at Fire Alert today!

If you ask someone where to find a fire extinguisher in their home or workplace, there’s a good chance they’ll be able to point you in the right direction. However, if you try asking a follow up question about how to use the fire extinguisher, then…well…they may be less helpful.

 

This isn’t surprising, as many people go their whole lives without ever having to use a fire extinguisher. While it’s great that they haven’t been put in such a dangerous situation, this also means their inexperience with fire extinguishers could work against them in an emergency situation.

 

If this sounds like you, then you’ve found the right article. Let’s go over the basics of fire extinguishers to help keep you and everyone around you safe in a dangerous situation.

 

Fire Classes

A fire extinguisher isn’t a one size fits all deal – you have to use different ones for different types of fires. There are 5 common classes of fire, including:

 

  • Class A is for freely burning combustibles, like paper, wood, and cardboard.
  • Class B is for burning liquids or gasses, like kerosene, gasoline, oil, and grease.
  • Class C is for electrical fires, like those involving appliances, circuit breakers, and outlets.
  • Class D is for fires involving combustible metals, like potassium, sodium, titanium, and magnesium
  • Class K is for cooking-related fires, like cooking oils and fats

 

A lot of fire extinguishers found in homes and businesses are labelled as Class ABC, so they can be used for multiple types of fires. You can typically find the remaining two types, Classes D and K, in factories and commercial kitchens respectively.

 

Fire Extinguisher Types

There are various types of fire extinguishers available, but the following are the most common ones.

 

  • Dry chemical extinguishers are filled with powder or foam. They’re appropriate for Class A, B, and C fires. 
  • Water extinguishers contain water. They’re suitable for Class A fires.
  • Carbon dioxide extinguishers are filled with carbon dioxide. They work best on Class B and C fires.
  • Wet chemical extinguishers contain a potassium solution. They are best for Class K fires.
  • Dry powder extinguishers typically contain either a sodium chloride or a special graphite base. They are ideal for Class D fires.

 

How to Use a Fire Extinguisher

Portable fire extinguishers tend to be quite effective. In fact, a survey by The National Association of Fire Equipment Distributors reported that they were able to extinguish fires nearly 95% of the time. This may be because they have been designed so that anyone can use them – all you have to remember to do is PASS.

 

  • Pull the pin and release the locking mechanism.
  • Aim the nozzle at the base of the fire while maintaining a safe distance.
  • Squeeze the trigger slowly to release the extinguishing agent.
  • Sweep the nozzle from side-to-side until you are certain that the fire is out.

 

Keep in mind that portable fire extinguishers are only meant for small fires, so they only contain so much of the extinguishing agent. Therefore, you should always have an escape route ready to go in case the extinguisher runs out before the fire does.

 

For more on fire extinguishers, and to take advantage of our mobile extinguisher services, click here to contact Fire-Alert today!