History of Commercial Fire Sprinkler Systems

Commercial fire sprinkler systems help save lives and the assets of a business from the potential catastrophic damage of a fire. Fire sprinklers are found everywhere these days and are well understood in concept by all. Implemented into the greater ceiling and piping network of any commercial property, commercial fire sprinkler systems are common in healthcare facilities, schools and any other type of commercial building. It is mandated by law that commercial properties provide fire sprinklers as a standard part of the building’s life safety system.

If you are considering commercial fire sprinkler systems for your Burnsville area business, call on Brother’s Fire & Security. We are experts in the implementation, maintenance and care of fire sprinklers in the greater Twin Cities area.

Please join us in this journey through time for the history of fire sprinklers and fire suppression systems.

Back in the early 19^th century, a manual fire sprinkler was amongst the most sophisticated fire suppression techniques in any given area or town. Patented originally by Sir William Congreve, the original wave of commercial fire sprinkler systems operated through the release of a valve that allowed a storage of water to be released, allowing water to flow through the system and be dumped on the expanding fire. Flawed in design, it could not release water in time enough to adequately control a blaze or prevent it from spreading. Someone had to be there in order to release that valve timely enough to control or prevent the damage. Being that a fire is generally well under way by the time it is “noticed,” this initial system was difficult to successfully implement.

The late 19^th century brought with it advances and expansions on the early commercial fire sprinkler systems of the day. At this point, many were working on “automatic” systems that were able to respond more quickly than the manually initiated variety. Frederick Grinnell created a commercial fire protection system that worked. Utilizing the finest of existing systems of his day, he tweaked and refined the fire suppression systems available at the time and turned them into reliable, functional fire sprinkler systems. These systems became very popular throughout Europe and the United States.

Commercial fire sprinkler systems have all but been perfected by now. These systems are frequently upgraded being changed as new technology is introduced. Brother’s Fire & Security has commercial fire sprinkler systems that detect, suppress or put out fires, monitor security and alert authorities, when called for. It is truly amazing to see just how far this technology has come. Many lives and countless assets have been saved by commercial fire sprinkler systems.

If you would like to learn more about commercial fire sprinkler systems in Burnsville, call Brothers Fire & Security at 1-800-607-2767 or Contact Us.

Stay Safe This Halloween!

Happy Halloween! On the spookiest day of the year, we thought we would share some of the best Halloween safety tips we know. And when you want more information about commercial fire sprinkler systems in St Paul, you can call the professionals here at Brothers Fire & Security!

Make sure you do not put any Halloween decorations, especially anything made out of cloth or paper, near an open flame. As a matter of fact, there are electric candles on the market these days, so you should use those instead of regular candles. This can also help make your home more safe this Halloween and throughout the entire holiday season.

You can also use electric candles for the inside of any Jack O'Lanterns that you carve. You will not have to worry about any other Halloween decorations being ignited, and you will not have to worry that someone's costume will be accidentally ignited either.

If you and your family enjoy a bonfire on Halloween night, practice standard fire safety tips. Do not allow anyone to get too close to the fire, watch out for trailing Halloween decorations or parts of Halloween costumes and never ignite the fire with gas or another flammable liquid. Use kindling and matches or even newspaper. Try to burn larger logs instead of smaller ones too.

When you select a Halloween costume, make sure that if there is a mask included that it has big enough breathing holes and eye holes. That way, whoever is wearing it will be able to breathe easily and see clearly. If possible, use make-up or face paint instead so you don't have to worry that the eye and breathing holes in your mask are too small.

When you are trick or treating or walking to a party, be sure to carry a flashlight. Do not carry a candle or a torch since these can also be fire hazards. A flashlight will also illuminate your way much better than a candle or torch would.

With some common sense and these practical Halloween safety tips, you and your loved ones could be a lot safer this Halloween. We hope it's an enjoyable one for you and your entire family!

Do you want more information on commercial fire sprinkler systems in St Paul? Then call us at Brothers Fire & Security at 1-800-607-2767, or you can contact us to get a Free Life Safety Quote.

Facts about Commercial Fire Sprinkler Systems

There are plenty of misconceptions about commercial fire sprinkler systems. St Cloud based Brothers Fire & Security is often asked about these types of fire suppression systems and how they can help save lives and assets. Here are a few of the most common mistruths we hear about them and the actual truth.

Myth: Sprinkler heads are unsightly and will detract from my business' looks.

Fact: While lives are more important than looks, we can understand why the idea of sprinkler heads protruding from your business' ceilings does not appeal to you. Fortunately, this is easily remedied. We can install recessed or partially recessed sprinkler heads into your ceiling, and they can be painted to match just about any color of ceiling out there.

Myth: Sprinkler heads leak and can cause a lot of water damage.

Fact: Depending on the type of commercial fire sprinkler systems we are installing, we might not even use water as the fire suppression agent. For businesses that have computers and other sensitive equipment, we can use special dry fire suppression agents. And for businesses that use water as their fire suppression agent, the sprinkler heads will not leak. They are under the same level of water pressure as the rest of your building.

Myth: Commercial fire sprinkler systems are expensive to install and don't even save lives.

Fact: Commercial fire sprinkler systems are relatively inexpensive to install, and the amount of money they can save you in fire damage, if the worst ever did happen, would make up for it. We install more than 100 commercial fire sprinkler systems every year, and we have plenty of customers who would agree with us. And commercial fire sprinkler systems give your building's occupants time to evacuate, and they help extinguish the flames and keep them under control until emergency personnel arrives to put the fire out.

If you would like to learn more about commercial fire sprinkler systems in St Cloud, call Brothers Fire & Security at 1-800-607-2767, or you can contact us to Request a Quote.

Fire Protection for Your Business

Nobody wants to think about dealing with a fire and the damage it does to a home or business. Fires are just one of those things that are beautiful when contained in a fireplace but horrific when they ravage your home or business! 

But, is it really all that important to have a high end Minnesota fire protection system in place?  Isn’t that just for large corporations? Not necessarily. A fire protection plan is vital, no matter how large, or small your company is.

In fact, a recent study by the NFPA shows that when a building is protected with operating sprinklers, that, in the event of fire, the average property loss is reduced by one-half to two-thirds when compared to companies that did not have a sprinkler system. And, even more importantly, deaths are reduced by as much as 50-75%. Thankfully, there is fire protection steps you can take to reduce (perhaps eradicate) your risk of fire to your business. 

These fire protection steps begin with having a fire suppression system. These suppression systems include fire sprinkler systems, fire alarm systems, integrated security application and fire extinguishers. Each of these have features that make them suited for a specific environment, though they can be installed to suit your facility’s needs.

Today’s technology has brought about many advances in a plethora fields. One of these is in the fire protection field. Now there are a variety of ways you can protect your business. Here at Brothers Fire, we offer several choices that can help you.

Choosing an Effective Fire Suppression System

There are few things more important than protecting your loved ones and property. The best way to do this is to have an effective fire suppression system installed. That way, if a fire should break out, the system will protect your property until firefighters arrive on the scene. But, how do you go about picking a Minnesota fire suppression system company to install it? We discussed this in an article a while back and noted:

The first step in selecting a system is to determine your budget. The higher the price tag, the more features in the system. After you have decided how much you're willing to allocate, you should make some calls and do some research. Contact your local fire department to find out what firms they would recommend to install a system. Ask those with systems who they hired to set them up. Find out if these contractors are properly certified and commissioned, and see what their reputation is like.

Fire suppression systems become more expensive depending on the included features. You have to be comfortable with spending whatever amount you eventually decide on. Getting the opinion of your local fire department for systems and firms can help save you from having to do a lot of research into what system to get. You want to make sure that before you jump into anything, you have all have the necessary information.

Read the entire article: "How To Choose An Effective Fire Suppression System."