Did you know that motel and hotel fires cause, on average, about 15 deaths and 150 injuries every year? While the likelihood of this happening may seem remote, it certainly underlines that there IS an inherent danger — and the cost of ignoring fire prevention can be very high.

Commercial fire alarms are one way you can fight back against fires. These alarm systems will help to reduce damages, injuries, and death. As an added bonus, they can often have a positive effect on your insurance, since the insurance company as well will be taking on less risk by working with you. So — should you be investing in commercial fire alarms? Here are a few more things to keep in mind.

1. If You Have a Lot Stored?

When it comes to warehouses, fires occurring in this space, not surprisingly, have much higher reports of property loss. Considering many warehouses often house thousands — even millions — of dollars worth of merchandise, it makes sense that you?d want to protect it as much as possible. In these locations, sprinkler systems are especially important. The damage in warehouses tends to be monetary rather than injuries or death since less people are typically located in these buildings, and the size of a warehouse and single-floor structure means it is often easier to escape from than a cramped office building or multi-story hotel. Overall, warehouse fires have dramatically fallen over the last 30 years, going from nearly 5,000 in 1980 to about 1,000 in 2011.

2. Cooking Fires are Incredible Common

Cooking fires are not only common, they occur in places you might not expect (AKA, not always a restaurant). In fact, confined cooking fires by themselves account for 55% of the fires occurring in medical facilities. A commercial fire alarm is essential for any areas that are susceptible to this sort of thing happening. Cooking fires in commercial settings are also common because people can get careless over time and often have to produce food incredibly quickly in order to meet consumer demand. Combined, this can lead to dish rags left too close to stoves, ovens not turned off when they should be, oil spills, etc.

3. Commercial Fire Alarm Systems Should Not be The Only Solution

Did you know that approximately half of chemical system failures are due to a lack of maintenance? Although getting your alarm is an important first step, it?s not the only step you need to take to ensure safety. Without proper maintenance, your alarm system will eventually fail to work when it?s most needed — putting both people and your business at risk unnecessarily.

Commercial fire protection is a necessary aspect of running a business today. So exactly how are you preventing fires? Let us know.