Sprinkler legislation has led to opportunistic fire protection companies sprouting up like weeds and taking on sprinkler retrofits in occupied buildings. Ensure your vendor has NICET certification to confirm that their techs have extensive experience.
To ensure safety, it’s important to ask about their policies and practices. You can inquire about their safety manual, drug testing, and procedures for accident reporting.
Experience
Choosing a fire protection contractor Southern California with substantial experience should be your first consideration. Numerous horror stories abound of contractors who took the lowest bid but cost building owners and tenants dearly with fraud, mishaps, reinstallation, service trouble, and litigation.
Look for a firm with extensive experience designing, installing, testing, and maintaining fire sprinkler and alarm systems. Ask for examples of their work, preferably in similar applications to yours.
A firm that designs, installs, tests, inspects, maintains, and services all fire suppression systems. A one-stop shop eliminates the hassle of juggling multiple vendors, minimizes scheduling conflicts, and ensures that inspections and maintenance are handled consistently. Setting up a backup system is crucial so you can retrieve crucial documents anytime you need to. Getting your hands on these records quickly is a good way to catch irregular services and repairs.
Reputation
A solid contractor should have a list of happy clients ready to vouch for their quality of work. A company with longevity and industry kudos should also have a public profile with a website, social media, and trade articles.
Look for a fire protection company with extensive experience in all aspects of restaurant fire suppression systems. This will distinguish between a well-maintained system with minimal service needs and an emergency where a fire sprinkler leak or kitchen hood failure could cause an unscheduled and costly shutdown of your operations.
A knowledgeable and experienced team can also help you navigate the pitfalls of opportunistic, ‘fly by night’ fire protection companies that emerge during times of demand, such as Chicago’s new requirements for sprinkler retrofits in high-rise buildings.
Customer Service
Installing fire safety equipment is important to any commercial building. Choosing a contractor that offers comprehensive installation, inspection, and maintenance is a smart choice and an operations cost-saver.
Having a single, comprehensive fire protection company handle all systems in a facility makes it easier for facilities managers to locate and submit regular reports associated with the building’s fire protection systems. If there is a problem, just giving the fire protection company a call will ensure a quick fix and the system is back up and running in no time.
Having a one-stop shop for fire equipment maintenance and service means less time worrying about leaky sprinkler systems or a kitchen hood fire and a greater chance of passing unannounced fire marshal inspections. That’s good customer service.
Safety
Many states have licensing requirements for fire contractors. Ensure your fire contractor is licensed in your state, and check that they are a member of important industry associations like the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Fire Sprinkler Systems Association. These associations keep members up-to-date on equipment, practices, and code compliance.
Ask your fire services company how many technicians they have and whether they can handle multiple jobs simultaneously. This will ensure that your inspections are done promptly and accurately.
Some fire service vendors specialize in one area of the business, such as portable fire extinguishers or kitchen system inspections, while others focus on sprinklers or fire alarms.
Knowledge
Programs for fire safety clearly outline what the owner should do to prevent fires at their building site. These programs address common causes of construction fires, like using cooking equipment or cutting or welding materials.
Choosing a comprehensive fire protection contractor that handles everything from sprinkler system installation to kitchen fire suppression systems can save you money and time. It also eliminates the hassle of coordinating multiple service providers.
Choosing the right contractor can make all the difference in your business’s fire suppression system’s functionality and performance and your restaurant’s ability to pass unannounced fire marshal inspections.