The most frequent emergency that must be planned for by small businesses is a fire. An important part of planning for a fire emergency is to have the proper fire extinguishers in place for quick and easy access. However, simply having fire extinguishers is not enough – employees must know how to use it effectively. At Getz Fire Equipment Company, we can provide you with the tools, training, and inspection services you need to help protect your business during fire emergencies.

According to OSHA, it is incumbent upon employers to train their workers thoroughly in how to assess a situation quickly, how to determine if or when evacuation is the safest option, and how to use a fire extinguisher properly. Under OSHA regulations, employees are required to be trained in the use of a fire extinguisher on a minimum yearly basis.

The PASS Method

An easy training technique to teach employees how to effectively use a fire extinguisher is referred to as the PASS method. It is as follows:

The PASS Method
An easy training technique to teach employees how to effectively use a fire extinguisher is referred to as the PASS method. It is as follows:

P – Pull the pin.
A – Aim low toward the base of the fire.
S – Squeeze the handle – this releases the extinguishing agent.
S – Sweep the nozzle from side to side while aimed at the base of the flames. Continue until extinguished.

Fire safety training for employees, including how to effectively use a fire extinguisher, also consists of other important training information, such as the following protocol:

• Sound the fire alarm or call the fire department right away.
• Determine a safe evacuation route that avoids flames, excessive smoke, and heat before approaching the fire. Prevent this route from becoming blocked.
• Discharge the fire extinguisher using the PASS method. If the flames flare up, move back from the area.
• Evacuate immediately if your extinguisher is empty and the fire is still burning.
• Evacuate immediately if the fire develops beyond what can be safely handled with firefighting tools at hand.

It’s important to know how to use a fire extinguisher. At Getz Fire Equipment Company, we can provide you with the information and other tools you need to help you fight fires effectively if or when they occur, and as a result protect human life and property. Contact us today for more information.

At Getz Fire Equipment Company, we have years of experience handling fire and safety concerns for our customers. Our services are provided in many areas of fire safety, including making sure fire pumps operate correctly. Through our high-quality fire pump testing and inspection services, we are able to ensure that you have the water supply you need when you truly need it for fire protection purposes.

The Need for a Fire Pump

When the local water system supply does not provide adequate water pressure to power a sprinkler system, it is necessary to install a fire pump. High elevations bring about pressure loss, such as in high-rise buildings, and stronger water pressure can often be needed in large volumes for buildings such as storage warehouses. Pumps are also used when water sources are located in a ground level tank.

The Operation of a Fire Pump

Pumps can be powered by electric motor, diesel engine or in less frequent cases a steam turbine. If a building code requires the fire pump to have a separate power source, an electric pump can be linked to a transfer switch so that an emergency generator can be used to power the pump.

Pumps can be powered by electric motor, diesel engine or in less frequent cases a steam turbine. If a building code requires the fire pump to have a separate power source, an electric pump can be linked to a transfer switch so that an emergency generator can be used to power the pump.

Types of Fire Pumps Available

Pumps are supposed to turn on when the pressure in a fire sprinkler system drops below a specified level. Drops in pressure can occur when one or more sprinklers are exposed to elevated heat that surpasses their design criteria, which results in the release of water. The opening of other connections related to firefighting can also result in a pressure drop. It is important that fire pump testing examine these and other various issues that relate to the effective operation of a fire pump system.

The various types of pumps available for use in the fire protection industry include:

• Vertical turbine and vertical in-line
• Horizontal and vertical split case
• Jockey pump
• End section

At Getz Fire Equipment Company, we follow the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) 25 Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems when we provide our services to clients in the state of Illinois.

Contact our team today to find out more about how we can serve your fire pump testing and inspection needs.

Fire pumps are primarily used to make sure you have enough of a water supply. It increases the pressure for fire suppression, which makes it a key part of your fire safety system. If you have one in your facility, then it’s crucial that your fire pumps are in top form. After all, you never know when a fire emergency might break out. It’s best to be prepared, in case that happens. That’s where pump inspections come in.

Importance of Regular Fire Inspections

Don’t expect fire protection systems to last and work perfectly fine forever. Inspections are necessary to maintain the operational efficiency of your system. With regular inspections, you can monitor the state of your fire protection system and turn up or catch any problems or issues early on. You can seek out repairs or replacements to keep those problems from getting worse as well.

Inspections, Testing, and Maintenance

A pump inspection, along with testing and maintenance, can only be carried out by qualified persons. To ensure compliance with safety standards, schedule a maintenance and service check. Weekly and monthly tests are recommended, along with annual inspections and flow tests on the pump, to ensure that your system is still in tip-top shape.

Inspection Timeline

Here’s a look at how inspections for your pump and fire protection system will go:
Weekly. Inspections usually focus on the fire pump system, pump house, as well as heating and ventilating louvers.

Monthly. This one includes testing and inspection of the pump operation for electric motor systems under no-flow conditions.

Annual. This includes checkup of the pump alarm signals along with testing of diesel and electric pumps under flow conditions.

Maintenance

First and foremost, maintenance of your fire protection system’s pump, along with all of its parts, must be done in complete compliance with the recommendations and standards set out by the manufacturer. Make sure the inspection specialist you choose is familiar with your system.

Problems

If there are any problems with your fire protection system, don’t hesitate to call in the pros for help and assistance. By calling in inspection experts on fire pumps, you have the peace of mind of knowing that your system is in good, qualified hands.

Call Us at Getzfire

Your fire protection system saves lives, but that’s only possible if your system actually works. That’s why inspections matter. Don’t take risks with your life and those of your team, employees, or tenants. Hire experts to inspect, test, and maintain your fire pump and fire protection system. For more information, contact us at Getzfire.

If you run a restaurant, then the risk of a building fire is always present. Meal preparations, after all, involve a lot of heat, and fire. If you don’t want any costly repairs or renovations, you’ll do your best to ensure your food, not your kitchen, is the only thing heating up.

The Facts

The U.S. Fire Administration says about $37 million in property loss every year is caused by grill fires, with almost half of those fires occurring between 5:00 to 8:00 in the evening. In addition, 57-percent of these fires happen from May to August. About 79 percent of these fires involve the use of gas grills. Leaks, as well as breaks in pipes, and containers, are some of the most-common causes of a fire, along with mechanical failure.

Clean Your Exhaust

One way to keep you and your staff safe is to regularly schedule kitchen exhaust cleaning. Over time, grease builds up in your exhaust system. Too much grease could lead to a fire. That’s the last thing you want to happen, so make sure you clean and clear the grease as much as possible.

Set a cleaning schedule

Don’t leave your safety to luck. Set a schedule for your kitchen exhaust cleaning. Go with monthly, semiannual, or annual cleanup sessions. This will ensure your exhaust operates at peak efficiency, at all times. Monthly sessions are ideal if you use a lot of solid fuels, such as charcoal, or wood. If you run on a more moderate volume, however, then going for semiannual sessions should suffice. If you don’t do much cooking, or only have low-volume cooking affairs, then annual cleanups be all you need to keep your system in top form.

So don’t let grease buildup cause problems in your kitchen. Contact Getz Fire, today, for all of your kitchen exhaust cleaning needs!

Burglary rates are typically high for businesses. This can disrupt business operations and result in consumer loss, especially if delivery orders fail because of the theft. That’s why crime prevention is essential to any commercial company.

Given all this, finding the right commercial-safety solutions for your business is a crucial factor in your success. If you want your business protected on every level, one way to do that is to put systems in place that protect the security of your company, properties, and people.

Know what you want

This seems obvious, but a lot of companies actually don’t have a clue what they want, when it comes to security. If you’re in the same boat, you should start by taking a long look at your company: Identify the weaknesses, or potential security breaches, in your building, or in operations. This should help you decide what type of system invest in.

Pick the right devices

Do you want cameras? An alarm system? Both, and everything in between? If you know why you’re getting a security system, then that should help you pick out the devices that match the system, and the purpose you have in mind.

Get the proper training

It’s not enough to simply have excellent commercial security solutions in place. You need to know how they work, as well. After you install a system, have a few members of your team enroll in a training course. This will ensure that they know how to operate the system correctly, which can help eliminate problems that can arise from improper use, or lack of basic knowledge. You certainly don’t want to spend more than you need to on repairs that result from improper operation.

Take your time

Don’t rush through the selection process. Take time to weigh your options, compare packages, features, inclusions, and cost. Rushing will only lead to mistakes, and that’s something you can ill afford when it comes to choosing a security system. Remember that this is going to be your company’s line of defense against determined criminal elements.

Do your best to pick out a system that fits your organizational needs. Think your business can live without one? If you don’t put a security system in place, then that’s an invitation for burglaries and thefts to happen. Keep criminal elements out of your commercial property with the right security solution. Contact us at Getz for more information about safety solutions for your business.

Burglaries and break-ins are one of the most common threats to your property, says the FBI. In the U.S. alone, burglaries account for 23.4 percent of property crimes. Property loss in 2012 was about $4.7 billion, with average dollar loss per burglary offense overall to $2,230.

That is why it is not enough to simply lock the doors of your office at night. Looking after the safety and protection of your commercial property means taking measures to protect against burglaries. That includes installing better security systems in place, one of which should allow for better ways to communicate such as intercom systems.

What is it?

The word intercom springs from two words: internal communication. The term refers to several phone handsets in the same building or property. It is not necessary but it would be beneficial to have one if you only have a small office to cover. However, if you have extensive or spacious commercial space, then you will need to get a bigger one.

Why do you need it?

Intercoms allow you to connect to someone else in the building or your property, making it easier to communicate. You won’t have to talk to a staff member at the top of your lungs while you are in your office. Also, if you have several floors in the building, shouting won’t do the job. For better reach and clarity, an intercom unit can help you.

How does it work as a security feature?

In case of an emergency, such as a burglary, you can connect to someone else in the building or warn everyone else on your staff that an intruder somehow got in. This helps put everyone on guard as well as allow employees in the building to call 911, arm and protect themselves or hide. In case of an emergency, having an intercom with you can help response teams find you and your staff members faster especially those trapped under the rubble. With this unit around, you and your employees are much safer and have a better layer of protection in place.

Don’t let your team and property be a victim of break-ins and burglaries. Boost your security systems with better communication tools. With a handy communication device such as an intercom, you and your employees can find a way to conveniently reach out to each other in emergency situations. Ask us at Getz Fire Equipment Company for more details.

The National Fire Protection Association says there were about 1,298,000 fires that occurred in 2014. The numbers rose up by 4.7 percent from the records recorded in the previous year, with about 3,275 people losing their lives to the fire. When you do the math, that gives you about one death every 2 hours and 41 minutes. And then you have the injury count, with 15,775 people sustaining injuries from a fire. Break that down and you have one person getting injured in a fire for every 33 minutes. The numbers are staggering and they don’t end there.

With these many casualties, about $11 billion in property damage has bent spent, with 494,000 structure fires happening across the US. The numbers show a slight jump of 1.3 percent from 2013.

Fire Alarms

One way to improve the situation is to install fire alarm systems. With one in place, you and your office, business or commercial property have a layer of security you could fall back on. When fires break out in the night, with no warning, it could put a lot of inventory and people in danger. By installing warning systems, you can protect against huge property losses and save lives.

Advantages

Whether you’re renting out your property or have your own business, having a fire alarm benefits you as a property and business owner. If a fire breaks out in your pantry, not everyone is going to know right away. Chances are that people are going to be busy doing their job. With a fire alarm, there is an easy and quick way to uniformly tell everyone that there is a fire right away. That’s key to ensuring people vacate the premises as soon as possible.

Also, fire alarms are connected to your local fire department, allowing faster-response time to happen. The sooner help arrives on your property, the less damage and property loss you’ll deal with.

Getting Help

Getz Fire Equipment Company has been in operation since 1957, providing fire protection solutions to commercial and industrial businesses. With 59 years of experience and counting, our alarm applications provide you the necessary safety and protection you need to minimize property damage and save lives. You must be safe on every level of your business. Keep your commercial property as well as your employees protected from fire hazards. Call us for a quote today.

Sooner or later, you’ll find yourself in an emergency situation. It might not happen often enough. But the few times it does, you’ll probably wish you knew how to perform whatever lifesaving technique that’s possible out there in order to help, in order to save a life. Here are a few more reasons why first aid training matters:

• It only takes a few minutes

When cardiac arrest happens, blood and oxygen supply is cut off to the brain and heart. If you’ve ever watched a medical drama on TV unfold, you know clots and all sorts of bad things could happen the minute blood and oxygen flow to the heart and brain stops. That’s where lifesaving measures come in. By knowing CPR, you can keep the heart pumping for a few minutes longer.

• You minimize damage

It takes about 6 minutes for the brain to die once the oxygen flow stops. But with lifesaving techniques, you can keep oxygen flow steady. Those minutes matter. Fast-response time can help you keep the victim’s brain from dying.

• Improve victim chances

By using lifesaving techniques in minutes, you improve the odds dramatically, allowing victims to recover faster and with fewer complications.

Types of First Aid Training

There are plenty of first aid training courses you could go for.

Fire protection: Know what to do in case you find yourself in a building that’s on fire. Knowledge can ease the fear and help you keep a calm head during a crisis. That’s not only going to help everyone around you, it can keep panic levels down long enough for you and everybody else to get out of the building and into safety. For more details, ask us.

Wilderness First aid: If you plan to hike, cross country ski or any other activity where a trip to the ER isn’t going to be likely, at least not for a few hours, then it’s only smart and practical to get train on how to survive and deal with emergency situations. That way, if something happens, you’ll be ready.