Fire Sprinklers – Practicing What We Preach
The buildings, and more importantly, the occupants of the buildings, at Lifeguard Fire Protection are protected by fire sprinklers. The office AND the fabrication facility are fully-sprinklered. My home is protected by fire sprinklers, and my parents’ homes have been protected by fire sprinklers. We practice what we preach.
All of the sprinkler installations described above were retrofits – installations in existing buildings with no fire sprinkler systems – except for my home. That installation was done during construction. We live with the product we sell. We believe in it. We save lives.
Low Bid = High Risk
The construction industry has changed, and not for the better. The “do whatever you have to do” mentality to bid day has overtaken common sense with disastrous consequences. Understandably, many contractors feel like they have to take bids that are unreasonably low from subs just so they can get the job. But what happens to them when those same subs abandon the project because they couldn’t stay in business at those low numbers? Who is left holding the bag? And what happens to the good subs who have not been getting any work because they can’t compete with stupid low numbers?
Subcontractor prequalification could help solve the problem. It is like insurance to a general contractor and owner, and it can help level the playing field when required by all bidders on a project. On large projects in particular, subcontractor prequalification can help ensure that the pool from which bids are taken contains quality contractors on stable financial footing, decreasing the likelihood of a sub going out of business during a project and abandoning it. While the contractor and owner may not necessarily require bonding (an added expense), they can at least require that bidders are capable of being bonded. After all, the great irony of bonding is that sureties won’t bond anyone who actually needs it.
Prequalification gives us a competitive advantage against the subs who put out unreasonable numbers. In spite of the bad years – and believe me when I say they are the worst I have ever seen – we have been able to maintain our ability to bond work and to stay on sound financial ground.
Prequalification also protects our customers. We don’t want to see good general contractors and owners get burned by bad subs, either. We like our customers and want to make it out of this economic mess together. A good rule of thumb: Cheap is never good, and good is never cheap.
We Don’t Do Drive-By Fire Sprinkler System Inspections
We are going to follow the requirements of NFPA 25: Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems. We are going to demand access to every sprinklered area in your building. We are going to use the checklist on our report, and we are going to answer every single question. We are going to use the inspection form as a tool to ensure that your fire sprinkler system will perform as it should in a fire event.
NFPA 25 inspections aren’t intended to evaluate the design of the system – that is a separate process that we provide in a complete engineering review. For example, if you bought a warehouse that had a system designed for the storage of glass bottles, and you intend to store flammable liquids, then you need an engineering review. You are dealing with an entirely different commodity classification that will likely overwhelm the fire sprinkler system in a fire, even if it operates exactly as it was designed. We will bring this problem to your attention, but it is not part of the inspection.
While your first inspection after using a drive-by inspection company may have some deficiencies on it, please know that these corrections must be made to ensure your fire sprinkler system will work as it should. Corrections can be quoted or performed on a time and materials basis, and we will do our best to keep your costs down. Our goal is to protect you and your building. Because we are thorough and believe that our work matters, we will take care of you. Those drive-by companies obviously don’t care about you at all. (And we sleep well at night because we do it right.)
Preventable Fire Sprinkler System Failure
Look what Jamie found the other day! A 1976 edition of NFPA 13! It belonged to my father, and it is fascinating to see how the code has changed over the years. When people complain about fire sprinkler requirements, they forget that NFPA 13 is a code “written in blood.” Changes have been made over the years based on actual fire experience where people have died preventable deaths.
The focus of today’s blog is the little black box on the front cover of this code: “Closed valves have caused 30% of all sprinkler system failures.” That was true in 1976, and sadly causes a much higher percentage of failures today. The solution to this problem is education – education for building owners and maintenance personnel, firefighters, and even fire sprinkler technicians.
There are two reasons control valves are left in the closed position, consequently shutting off a fire sprinkler system: 1) Conscious Decisions, and 2) Accidents.
First, let’s discuss the intentional closure of a fire sprinkler control valve. Because we perceive that fires are rare, we fail to recognize the persistent danger of fire. A building owner might make the decision to leave a fire sprinkler system out of service during repairs or maintenance for convenience or cost, since it takes time to drain and refill a wet system or drain and reset a dry system. I am not saying this action should never be taken, but do a risk assessment first. In the case of an occupied building, such as a nursing home, there are procedures that must be followed to ensure the safety of the residents, who are slow at best and unable at worst to save themselves in a fire event.
A worse situation is the control valve left closed accidentally and forgotten. It may be closed for an extended period of time while everyone in the building assumes that the fire sprinkler system is in service. Maybe a fire sprinkler got hit by a broom handle, and the maintenance personnel closed the control valve to stop the flow of water, changed the sprinkler out, and never remembered to go back and open the control valve. Maybe there was a fire in which the system activated, and the fire department shut off the fire sprinkler system when the fire was out. Maybe an inexperienced fire sprinkler technician performed a repair and forgot to open the control valve when finished.
While accidents will happen, you can control your risk by having a reputable, licensed fire sprinkler contractor take care of your fire sprinkler system. Having regular fire sprinkler system inspections is good insurance against this type of problem. Your inspector will check to make sure all valves are open during the inspection and will note this condition on the inspection form for you records. ALWAYS call a licensed fire sprinkler contractor immediately after the activation of a fire sprinkler system due to a fire event. At Lifeguard, we also perform training for building owners and maintenance personnel as well as fire departments. We give our employees the opportunity for continuing education and provide constant reminders of good practices in the field.
Visit our website at www.lifeguardsc.com for more information. Learn more about our services and Lifeguard Fire Protection University. Protect yourself from preventable loss.
Lifeguard Celebrates 25th Anniversary in 2012
We are excited to celebrate our 25th anniversary this year. It is a huge deal for a construction company, with business failures in the U.S. second only to restaurants. It is also a huge deal for a second-generation family business. We are a full-service fire sprinkler contractor offering complete engineering, design, fabrication, installation, inspection, testing, and maintenance of automatic fire sprinkler systems. We are also a woman-owned small business.
My father, Carey Smith, founded Lifeguard Fire Protection, Inc. in 1987. The business was located in part of our home, growing to include an attached workshop, and eventually taking over outbuildings once used as barns and storage buildings on the family farm. My dad was the primary estimator and designer in the very beginning. As additional employees were hired, he became chief estimator and always remained in that position. My mother, Melba Smith, always handled the finances of the company and came to work at Lifeguard full-time in 1993.
Future son-in-law Jamie Patterson joined the company in 1992 as a part-time employee. He worked his way through the ranks in every position from shop helper to chief designer making him uniquely qualified in later overseeing construction operations. He became Vice President of Operations in 2005 and president in 2010.
I officially joined the company in 1999 and brought professional marketing and business management experience. I began handling all cost accounting, purchasing, marketing, safety, training, and outreach activities. I became Vice President of Administration in 2005 and temporarily took over management of the Inspections and Service Department at that time. I became CEO in 2010.
To accommodate the continued growth of the business, a new office was built on the existing business property and opened in July 2000.
Both of my parents retired in 2010 and are greatly enjoying their retirement.
With the help of a very talented and valuable leadership team, the company continues to grow in size and profitability in spite of continued economic pressures on the commercial construction market in our area. We appreciate all those who have gotten us this far and plan on being around another 25 years!
Arc Flash Danger
Today we are out working on a fire pump controller, and my electrician brother-in-law reminded me that we should always be mindful around electricity, especially around the three-phase power coming into the controller. Here is a video he shared with me to illustrate the point:
Enough said. Be careful out there, and wear your personal protective equipment.
You Can’t Fireproof Your Home
“The 3 main causes of residential fire are still men, women, and children…” And that, my friends, is why you cannot stop home fires from happening.
What you can do is install a firefighter in your home by installing a residential fire sprinkler system. Here is a humorous look at why fire sprinklers are better than actual firefighters in your home…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqIE5lnsGrw&list=FLiT_HIl3KyDYLqWpVIwxDrg&index=9&feature=plpp_video.
While the installation of fire sprinklers is not an option for everyone, you can install and maintain smoke detectors to give yourself and your family the best chance of escaping a fire. Always have an escape plan and practice it. Just like they taught us in elementary school. The same best practices still apply. Visit the National Fire Protection Association at www.nfpa.org for more safety tips.
One Solitary Life
Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty. Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher.
He never owned a home. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put His foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place He was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself…
While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed upon a cross between two thieves. While He was dying His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth – His coat. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.
Nineteen long centuries have come and gone, and today He is a centerpiece of the human race and leader of the column of progress.
I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, all the navies that were ever built, all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that one solitary life.
~ Dr. James Allen Francis
Giving Thanks
Throughout history mankind has celebrated the bountiful harvest with thanksgiving ceremonies. In many parts of the world a day is set aside to give thanks. The date and customs may vary from country to country, but the desire to take time to reflect on life’s blessings remains the same.
Thanksgiving for me is a special time to offer thanks to God, of family gatherings and holiday meals. A time of turkeys, my mother’s dressing, and apple pie. A time for kicking through the leaves, Indian corn, football, and holiday parades with giant balloons.
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I want to express my gratitude to everyone involved with Lifeguard Fire Protection – our outstanding employees and their families, faithful customers, dependable vendors, friendly competitors, and visionary founders. There is no time more fitting to say “Thank You” and to wish you a bountiful holiday season and coming year full of health, happiness, and prosperity for you and yours.
Things You’d Love to Say at Work…
Borrowed humor for the late afternoon stretch:
I can see your point, but I still think you’re full of crap.
I don’t know what your problem is, but I’ll bet it’s hard to pronounce.
How about never? Is never good for you?
I’m really easy to get along with once you people learn to see it my way.
I’ll try being nicer if you’ll try being smarter.
Ahhh…I see the screw-up fairy has visited us again.
The fact that no one understands you doesn’t mean you’re an artist.
Chaos, panic, disorder – my work here is done.
Kim Patterson
