Engineered beams and wood has allowed contractors to throw up building structures quickly and inexpensively. The downside is that in a fire, the thin wood and laminate beams burn much quicker than solid wood. These construction pieces are lightweight, which cause them to burn all the way through and collapse almost instantaneously. Not to mention, modern furniture and coverings, which are made...

As a facilities manager, you have a lot on your plate, especially when it comes to fire and life safety. One of the best ways to help protect both the integrity of your building and its occupants is through the use of compartmentalizing your facility.

As a facility manager, your fire safety plan must take into account that a great number of people present during a fire will have little to no training on how to quickly and safely respond. Especially in commercial facilities where there is a high percentage of foot traffic. So how can you make sure that your facility is prepared for a fire while keeping your guests safe? The answer is the...

As a facility manager in the educational arena, you have many different buildings that cater to your students, faculty and staff. Naturally, fire safety is one of your many concerns, and being prepared is critical to all facilities. That’s why it is important to ensure that each building’s passive fire protection system is properly maintained in accordance with fire and life safety codes. And...

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...