8 Essential Types of Fire Safety Equipment
Fire safety is essential in every building – from the regulations in place during planning and construction to the placement and maintenance of a fully functioning fire safety equipment in any finished residential, commercial or industry building.
The fire curtains, smoke curtains, and fire shutters that we manufacture and install here at Ultimate Fire & Smoke Curtains Ltd all help fight fires and slow them down, but they’re only part of the solution. Investing in some or all of the fire safety equipment mentioned below should also be part of your fire safety set-up.
- Fire Curtains
- Smoke Curtains
- Fire Shutters
- Smoke Detectors & Fire Alarms
- Fire Extinguishers
- Fire Buckets & Blankets
Keep reading to learn more about these 8 fire safety tools.
Fire Curtains
When it comes to fire safety equipment, a fire curtain seems like an obvious place for us to start! As fire curtain specialists, we can offer over 30 years of invaluable experience in dealing with fire in homes and businesses. Our expert team can provide wholesale fire safety solutions and advice to help safeguard your property against the potential threat of a disastrous fire.
A fire curtain is a temporary wall that will descend from the ceiling to provide a blockage or obstacle partition in-between two areas when a fire occurs. It will help save your life and prevent smoke and flames from spreading throughout your building or business.
Our range of Fire Curtains are by far the strongest and best range of fire curtains on the market today. They can withstand fire, smoke and heat up to 180 minutes, 180 minutes & 77 minutes with the same curtain – making the Ultimate fire curtains the ultimate life safety product.
Automatic Smoke Curtains
When people consider the main cause of fire-related deaths, many assume it would be burning, however, it is smoke inhalation that will kill people first. This makes smoke curtains a powerful tool that can help prevent further damage, and ultimately, save lives.
Ultimate Fire & Smoke Curtains Ltd manufacture automatic smoke curtains that are designed to hold back the smoke and allow people to escape to safety, offering them one hour of protection.
Fire Shutters
If you need something that is more robust than fire curtains or smoke curtains, it could be time to look into fire shutters.
The rigidity of a fire shutter not only helps prevent the spread of fire, but also provides added security to the outside of your building. Fire shutters can be exposed to a range of climate conditions so are perfect for external use.
Fire shutters are available in a range of sizes and with different modes of operation so you can find one that is perfectly suited to your building to ensure maximum protection and efficiency.
Smoke Detectors & Fire Alarms
Smoke detectors and fire alarms are both essential but they serve different functions.
A smoke detector picks up on smoke particles proliferating in the air and usually responds with a high-pitched audio alarm that alerts household members.
In larger homes, smoke alarms can be fitted as a connected system, where when one alarm is triggered, every other alarm responds. With older people more prone to being injured – or worse – during a fire, smoke detectors that respond with flashing lights are also available to purchase for people with hearing impairments.
Fire alarms, on the other hand, can also sense heat – as well as do everything a smoke detector can. Available with a range of additional features, including sprinkler systems, a fire alarm is more often part of a wider, linked system, and can be linked directly to local authorities for faster response times. Fire alarms do have a longer lifespan than standard smoke detectors, but only if they are regularly maintained.
Every home should have a fully-functioning and regularly tested smoke detector, while a fire alarm would be more suited to a non-residential property.
Fire Extinguishers
This is often the first thing most people think of when asked to think of fire safety equipment. Fire extinguishers come in a variety of different forms. All of them are pressurised containers filled with fire-extinguishing material. They can be filled with water (with water additives), foam, carbon dioxide, or powder.
When working out which fire extinguisher you need for your home or workplace, it’s worth considering which type of fire is most likely to ignite. Once you know which kind of fire is most likely to start in your home or workplace, then you’ll know what kind of fire extinguisher you should buy.
Do not use a fire extinguisher to prop open a door. Ensure it is properly attached to a wall. And just as with fire alarms, it’s important to have your fire extinguishers checked regularly. You don’t want to discover your fire extinguisher doesn’t work when you need it most.
Fire Buckets & Blankets
Fire buckets are a simplistic piece of equipment that normally come in the form of a red plastic or metal bucket with “fire” written on it. Fire buckets are set out in strategic positions to provide people with a large enough container to fill with water or firefighting powder in an emergency.
Having a large bucket to hand is very useful in a fire and they are cheap and require no maintenance, so there’s no excuse for not picking up a few if you’re serious about fire safety.
Fire blankets are made from fire-resistant material such as wool and fibreglass They help fight fires by reducing the oxygen supply to a fire, cutting off this key part of the fire triangle. Obviously, a fire blanket will be less useful in the event of a large fire, but they are perfect for smaller fires.
Fire Safety Equipment to Keep People & Property Safe
Knowing that the right equipment is in place can give you peace of mind and, more importantly, keep people and property safe.
If you have any questions about anything we’ve talked about here or want advice on your fire safety strategy, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
