A Fire Alarm System is the focal point of a much broader system commonly referred to as the Life Safety System. A total Life Safety System includes all the components necessary to insure the safety of individuals occupying a given building. These components include, but are not limited to, fire detection, alarms, fire suppression, emergency lighting, smoke evacuation, door releases, pre-action, critical function monitoring and evacuation routes. Since fire is the most common danger to building occupants the Fire Alarm System is the most important component of the entire Life Safety System.
A 'Fire Alarm' system is actually composed of two distinct components that work together, fire detection and fire alert. Fire detection is intended to discover the presence of smoke or heat and can be activated by the effects of smoke and heat or by manual input (pull station). Once the fire is detected the Fire Alarm Central Panel initiates the audio/visual alarms to the areas of concern. Once the alarms are initiated all the other components of the overall Life Safety System determine the ease at which occupants may be safely removed from danger.
In choosing a fire alarm system there are a myriad of different manufacturers and products to choose from which are closely governed by National, State and Municipal rules and regulations regarding installation. At Kelso-Burnett Co. our Division Managers dedicated to the installation of fire alarm systems have the expertise and experience to insure that every system we install not only meet all codes and regulations, but also will perform to the design expectations. In order to provide our customers with as many options as possible, we do not align ourselves with any specific manufacturer. Our goal is to be well versed in the latest technological advances of the entire industry so that our customers call upon us for our performance and not because we are the sole source of a proprietary system.
Chicago and many of the surrounding municipalities have stringent life safety codes that our customers must meet. Whether it is a new project or a city mandated compliance, Kelso-Burnett can take the burden of complying with these codes from our customers and work with the governing jurisdiction to ensure a proper installation.
For more information on our capabilities with Life Safety Systems please contact any of our Division Managers listed under 'Contacts.'