The Role of Fire Suppression Systems in Safety

Fire is an element that once out of control it leads to deaths, loss of property and other catastrophes. For organizations located in emerging cities such as Dubai, protection from fire risk is important because growth in infrastructure and development is rapid. Fire suppression systems are among the best solutions that can be used in order to protect buildings and the people in them. Besides assisting in suppression of fires, these systems are of great importance in preventing the fires from occurring. Now in this blog, I will be discussing fire suppression systems and why every property must have it for safety reasons. Also, how DCD approved annual maintenance contracts help to keep these systems in the best working condition will also be covered before conclusion.

What Are Fire Suppression Systems?

Fire suppression systems have the function of detecting and limiting fire in its experimental phase. Compared with ordinary fire alarms which simply give out signals, suppression fire systems fight the fire in a way that its power might be lessened, or eliminated completely. These systems are of many types of technologies as for example, sprinklers, gaseous agents and water mist systems.

Every form of suppression systems is designed for different situations. For instance, the water based systems such as sprinklers are regular in the residential and commercial buildings while gaseous agents are used in places such as the data centers where water may cause harm to the equipment.

The gaseous agents differ greatly from water-based agents in that they can make use of water since most of the equipment found in such data centers may be easily damaged by water.

The significance of fire suppression system in safety

Preventing Fire Spread

Specifically, the chief aim of all forms of fire suppression mechanisms is to ensure that the fire does not extend to other parts. It is therefore common that once a fire begins, it can spread faster and faster and therefore endanger more persons and property. A suppression system detects the fire in its early stage and uses every effort to prevent it, thus preventing it from causing a lot of destruction.

Saving Lives

In case of fire the time factor is very important; it means time is a great factor of fire. Fire protection systems are passive and this implies that the systems are operated without the use of human beings. This speed can be very much useful specifically in big buildings where getting the attention of all the people and evacuating them is very hard and time consuming. In other words, while confining the measurement of fire, suppression systems afford people with more time to evacuate hence increasing their chances of survival.

Protecting Property

Fire loss through the destruction of property is easily seen as among the most profound effects of a fire. It can be severe, which leads to huge expenses toward property repairs as well as equipment replacements. Management of such damage is however eased by fire suppression systems since they act fast to extinguish the fire. These systems help to confine the fire in one part of the building thereby averting huge costs of property losses which could be in the millions.

Reducing Downtime for Businesses

Equipment does not only melt or burn; it also ceases to work: fires disable equipment. For the businesses, such a period might be so costly as it slows down production and therefore affects their returns. It not only extinguishes the fire but also brings down the time taken to mitigate any loss by the businesses. Quick containment also enables quick repair and quick restoration of operation, with less interruption.

Different Type of Fire Suppression System

There are several fire suppression systems that are available within the market depending on the certain type of building and what it holds.

Water-Based Systems

This system makes use of water to put out fires or prevent them from raging on. There are various forms, but the most common is that of the sprinkler systems which discharge water over the area of the fire. Water based systems are most suitable for commercial, residential and other non-industrial structures such as offices, homes, and warehouses.

Gaseous Systems

Gaseous fire suppression systems employ gasses such as carbon dioxide or clean agents whereby the gasses are used to eliminate oxygen in the surrounding in an effort to starve the fire. These systems are widely used in the places where humidity may be dangerous such as the computer room or server area where water presence is life threatening.

Foam-Based Systems

Foam fire suppression systems are generally used in particularly large hazard areas including oil refineries and chemical plants. This is the case since they cover the fire with a blanket of foam which is useful in removing oxygen and at the same reducing the temperature at the same time.

Dry Chemical Systems

It is a fully automated system which expels a fine powder that puts the fire out or slows down the chemical reactions. Dry chemical systems are most commonly installed in the areas such as kitchens where the fire owing to grease or oil is more prevalent.

Why DCD-Approved Annual Maintenance Contracts Matter

It is important to note having a fire suppression system is nothing without proper installation and functioning of the device. As any other system that is to be used during an emergency, it needs to be effectively maintained. This is where DCD-approved annual maintenance contracts come in handy. The Dubai Civil Defence (DCD) has laid down very rigorous regulations and policies for fire safety in buildings and one has to get licensed to undertake necessary fire maintenance jobs.

Here’s why DCD-approved annual maintenance contracts are vital:

Ensuring Compliance with Regulations
Safety measures and precautionary measures are mandatory for constructions in Dubai especially those concerning fire incidences. Having a maintenance contract approved by the DCD guarantees that your fire suppression system meets these regulations. This not only protects the lives of the occupants but also avoids cases that may lead to law suits or fines for non-compliance.

Regular Inspections and Testing

Fire suppression systems have to undergo routine tests to ensure that they are in the right condition as expected. In the long run, constituent parts of the apparatus erode, input devices can be damaged, and lines within the sprinkler heads can be occluded. Such things are looked into whilst under the permitted contract with the DCD and they are usually noted at an earlier stage.

Immediate Repairs
In the course of the inspection if there is any fault detected it has to be rectified on the spot. Having a maintenance contract approved by DCD means that whenever there is need of repair, the work is done adequately and by qualified personnel so that the system can be guaranteed to function when there is a fire disaster.

Peace of Mind
It is safe to know that your fire suppression system is well in the hands of professionals and is well taken care of. However the use of such a system gives assurance that in case of an emergency, the system will function well so as to minimize the impact on individuals as well as property.

Conclusion

Fire suppression systems are extremely important to save lives as well as property. In the residential, commercial, and even the industrial premises, such systems work efficiently to prevent the fire outbreak, put it off instantly and avoid the escalation of the inferno. Nevertheless, this may not be sufficient all the time since a suppression system requires utmost maintenance in order to be effective. This is where DCD-approved annual maintenance contracts come in handy. It ensures that your system has been checked, tested and also has been fixed by qualified personnel and this makes you to be assured that you are prepared for emergencies of fire.