Canadian business owners are playing with fire
Fire Prevention Week is Oct. 8 to 14! The campaign aims to remind Canadians that non-residential fires can be prevented and better managed to help save lives, property, and livelihoods. Photo courtesy Classic Fire + Life Safety.
Classic Fire + Life Safety, an industry leader in the fire protection and life safety industries, launches this weekend a campaign to help raise awareness on the importance of commercial fire prevention. Planned to coincide with Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 8 to 14, the campaign aims to remind Canadians that non-residential fires can be prevented and better managed to help save lives, property, and livelihoods.
This year, Classic FLS wants to share the residential fire prevention week spotlight and raise awareness of the need for businesses to take fire protection seriously.
“Even with the Fire Code being widely enforced, we still see many businesses forgetting about the important role that they play in the fire safety of their businesses,” says Chris Berwick, Vice President of Service at Classic Fire + Life Safety. “Just like our students are getting back into the school mind-set, this October, we want to remind businesses to get into the fire prevention mind-set and ensure that they are doing the important daily checks and inspections that will keep their property, and the people in them, safe.”
Annually for over 100 years, the National Fire Protection Association has organized Fire Prevention Week to help educate Canadians on fire safety. The NFPA reported 500,000 fires between 2015 and 2019, nearly 115,000 of them in non-residential buildings.
“Installing necessary structures and systems to prevent fires is key to ensuring the safety of buildings,” says Ryan Koch, District Manager, B.C. Interior at Classic FLS. “And that is key to offering staff and customers a safe environment in which they can grow.”
The fire prevention experts at Classic Fire + Life Safety have provided some reminders on what businesses must do to be code compliant, and fire safe:
- Keep doorways, corridors, and egress paths clear and unobstructed
- Install and maintain clear signage for exit doors
- Check the power to your fire alarm system and ensure there are no existing troubles on the panel.
- During winter weather, check fire pump rooms to ensure they are above freezing.
- Do not tamper with any fire system equipment such as smoke detectors, pull stations or fire extinguishers
- Establish a Preventative Maintenance Program and make it a priority
- Comply with all local Fire Code requirements
For more fire prevention tips, visit classicfls.com or follow Classic FLS on LinkedIn and Facebook.
* The NFPA reports 113,899 fires between 2015 and 2019 in non-residential buildings.