How Does a Fire Alarm System Work?

A necessity in almost any space, a fire alarm system can be your first line of defense in the event of a fire in your place of work. In order to best protect yourself and others, it is important to understand how these systems work and how to mitigate any common issues. At Getz Fire Equipment, we offer fire alarm systems and fire alarm services locally in Iowa and Illinois, and are staffed with life safety professionals that can help you understand these systems and help you make the smartest choices for installing, upgrading, or servicing fire alarm systems.

Fire Alarm systems are comprised of two major components. Initiation/Detection and Notification. The initiation of an “Alarm” on a fire alarm system can come from devices such as pull stations found at exit doors, an automatic sprinkler system water flow switch, or a variety of detection devices. Detection devices include smoke detectors, heat detectors, duct smoke detectors, and can even include specialized detection devices such as beam detection, linear heat cable, and air-sampling detection. Once the fire alarm system has been initiated and is in an alarm state, the Notification devices are activated. Notification devices are both audible and visual, coming in the form of horns, strobes, combination horn/strobes, and can also be speaker-based and allow the functionality of prerecorded or live voice messaging. Typically, all fire alarm systems should also be monitored by a central station monitoring entity that can call the local Fire Department upon the fire alarm system going into alarm.

Whether your system is set up in a commercial or industrial plant, a fire alarm system is vital to have for the protection of anyone that uses the space. It’s critical to have a fire alarm system that meets the local and national codes, functions properly, and ensures the safest environment. Serving Illinois and Iowa, Getz Fire Equipment installs and services a variety of fire alarm systems designed for various industrial and commercial spaces. Our staff of industry experts is dedicated to helping you choose the best possible option for fire safety. Interested in learning more? Call us today at 844-425-1000, or visit our website.