Most Vital Part of a School
While there are many important systems and equipment in a school, perhaps none is more important than a properly working fire alarm system. When parents send their kids off to school, they put their trust in the school that that they will keep their children safe and secure while there. They expect the school to be prepared to handle any emergency and keep their children out of harm’s way. A fire alarm system is one such system that can help a school keep their students safe and secure.
In the event of a fire, a fire alarm system must be able to quickly alert all students and faculty of a potential fire. The fire alarm system’s pull stations must all be in working order so if a fire is spotted, a student or faculty member can activate the fire alarm system alerting the rest of the school. Finally, in the event of a fire, the fire alarm system must be able to quickly notify the proper authorities. To ensure a fire alarm system is 100% operational, it is imperative to have regularly scheduled fire alarm inspections performed by a professional fire protection company like Koorsen. Inspections are not just important for the overall safety of the school’s students and faculty, but they are required by law.
Integration to Handle Any Emergency
A fire alarm system is first and foremost designed to handle fire emergencies but it can further enhance school safety and security through building life safety system integration. A fire alarm system can be integrated with the access control system, security surveillance system, emergency communication system and other life safety systems. By integrating all the life safety systems, a school can be better prepared to handle any emergency situation. When the integrated fire and security system detects a breach, fire or the press of a panic button, it can quickly notify the central monitoring station which then can alert the proper authorities.
Advantages of Integrating Fire Alarm, Security, and Life Safety Systems
There are many advantages to integrating a school’s fire, security and life safety systems. Above all, an integrated fire and security system can expedite the handling of the emergency situation. With an integrated system, students and teachers can be alerted more quickly to an emergency situation and be able to respond accordingly. Responding authorities can receive more critical information regarding the emergency situation and react strategically.
The fire and security integration can also help school administrators by providing an easier to use interface that can save time and money for the school. Communication across all levels and for all situations can be quickly enacted to reach all intended audiences in the school. With the integration of an emergency communication system, further information and alerts can be communicated outside the school via text messaging, email, voice messaging, and outdoor speaker systems. A well-engineered and designed integrated system can empower and enhance a school’s safety and security.
The biggest benefits to integrating your fire, security and emergency communication systems are:
- Cost Savings – Have one fire and security company handle all the inspections and maintenance. With the integration of all systems, maintenance and inspections are much more efficient and cost effective.
- Ease of Use – Operating one integrated system is more convenient and easier than managing multiple separate systems. By having access to all systems, faculty can utilize the numerous tools available to better handle situations.
- Quicker Response Time – With an integrated system, there are fewer false alarms as a result of being able to confirm situations through the use of multiple tools. Authorities can also be better prepared to handle the emergency situation.
- Enhanced Safety & Security – Every system that is integrated is further enhanced by providing new tools and capabilities that they didn’t have prior to the integration. In the event of a fire alarm, the communication system can be used to verify a potential fire while exit doors can be automatically unlocked to allow students to exit and first responders to enter.
Enhance Your School’s Safety and Security
If your school’s fire protection, access control, security and emergency communication systems aren’t fully integrated into one easy-to-use interface, contact us today for a fire, safety and security consultation. Our fire and security experts can help engineer a system that will help enhance the safety and security of your students and faculty. We can also perform routine inspections and maintenance to ensure your school's life safety systems are always up to code and operating properly.
