Safety is always of the utmost importance when choosing fire protection services, especially in schools. Both faculty and staff have the shared goal of keeping students safe and protected on school grounds. In addition to faculty and staff being informed on the proper fire safety protocol, schools should make careful decisions both when installing fire protection systems, and scheduling maintenance, repair, and inspections of these systems. Fire protection services should be appropriately chosen to invest wisely and prevent possible harm. The best way to understand which fire protection services are needed and how to implement them is to consider the leading causes of school fires, where they occur, and how they can be prevented.
When are fires most likely to occur schools?
There is an increase in school building fires in the beginning and end of the academic year. Knowing when your building is most at risk of fire can help prevent fires. Inspection and testing of your fire protection system are critical to its proper function and correct operation. Although inspections may only be required once per year, it may be a good idea to check fire alarms, sprinkler systems, fire extinguishers, and kitchen fire suppression systems more often. Specifically, add additional fire protection services strategically in preparation for times of increased fire risk.
What type of school are fires most likely to occur in?
The majority of educational property fires occur in buildings from the preschool to the high school level. Although the safety of students of all ages should be a top priority, it may be worth noting that schools with children from preschool to high school level are at greater risk. Increased fire protection service measures may be taken to ensure the safety at these buildings. You may want to include more fire extinguishers per square foot or increase the frequency of your fire system inspections and testing.
What are the leading causes of fires in school?
Cooking equipment is one of the leading causes of school fires. Nearly all schools have a cafeteria and thus have industrial kitchen equipment. Like any other commercial kitchen, it requires special fire protection systems that are designed to suppress fires fueled by grease and caused by kitchen equipment. When considering fire protection services, it is paramount to properly protect your students and staff by installing the appropriate fire suppression system in the school kitchen and maintaining it properly.
Intentionally set fires account for one of the leading causes of school fires. 36% of fires on the educational property are intentionally set. Of these intentionally set fires, most are in the bathrooms or locker rooms. Including all fire causes, 25% originate in locker rooms or bathrooms. You can update your fire safety services to account for this. Perhaps install a higher density of fire extinguishers or sprinklers around these areas. Perhaps check fire extinguishers in these areas more frequently to ensure they are functioning properly.
Work with a company you can trust
Marco Protection Systems LLC is committed to providing fire protection services for schools and universities including installation and maintenance of fire protection systems. Marco understands the importance of fire safety in schools and some of the challenges to ensuring the highest level of protection, namely school budgets, and the busy academic calendar. That is why Marco is dedicated to providing fire protection services that are efficient, integrated, and cost-effective. Marco Protection Systems LLC can install the appropriate fire protection systems for your educational property with the previous statistics in mind. In addition, their technicians are licensed and trained to inspect your fire suppression systems. Technicians can monitor systems on a regular basis, diagnose problems, and repair damaged components. You can trust Marco to keep your school safe. Contact Marco today to learn more!