Last Tuesday February 12th, a fire was reported at the Ramada Inn on Plantside Drive in Louisville, KY by an employee at a nearby car dealership. When firefighters arrived, there were flames coming from the second floor of one of the hotel towers. According to the Fire Department Chief Sean Dreisbach, the fire had already spread to the third floor and smoke had already damaged the second, third

Valentine’s Day is Thursday, which means you will probably be spending a lot of time showering your loved ones with chocolates, flowers and all kinds of luxuries. However, one area you don’t want to go without some attention this year is a building’s fire and life safety protection systems, especially for loved ones in a nursing homes.

One minute and thirty seconds is all it takes for a modern room to become completely engulfed in flames and smoke. Less time than you thought, right? With everything we know about fire safety, why are buildings burning faster and hotter than older construction materials?

As a facility manager, when someone asks about your building’s fire protection system, you probably think about its alarm and sprinkler systems when, in reality, it is much more. In fact, there are two types of fire protection systems, Active Fire Protection and Passive Fire Protection. It’s important that both systems are properly working in the event of a fire. Active and passive fire...

With many of us facing the first winter storm issues of the year, a facility’s sprinkler systems, water lines as well as other fire and life safety systems will freeze and may not perform the way they were designed. As a healthcare or long-term care facility, keeping your patients as well as your faculty and staff safe during an emergency is important. Not to mention, many patients or...

With a major winter storm already hitting the south and creating issues, I can’t help but think about all the potential fire risks that increase during this season.  Heating equipment, cooking, holiday decorations as well as candles all contribute to an increased risk of a fire hazard. However, a significant portion of fires during winter are caused by heating equipment. Since heating...

With Thanksgiving tomorrow, it’s no surprise that the holidays are officially here. From the preparation of meals to the hanging of holiday lights and decorations, this time of year is notorious for accidental fires. Therefore, making sure that your property is prepared for a fire emergency can only ensure that the integrity of your building as well as the lives of those who occupy it are...

As a facility manager, you hear a lot about the importance of maintaining your facility’s fire and life safety systems. It’s important to the integrity of the building as well as the safety of its occupants to ensure your facility’s fire barriers are up-to-date with the codes and standards. This includes the maintenance of a building’s fire doors, fire and smoke dampers, firestopping...

The purpose of a building’s life safety system is to reduce the potential risks to life as well as the property from various threats. For that reason, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has developed life safety codes to protect people’s lives based on the building’s construction, protection, and occupancy features. However, systems that are found deficient and out of compliance...