Commercial Fire Blog

BACKFLOW - Backflow is simply a reversal of the average water flow—from the customer side of the meter into the water system. It can happen due to water pressure differences or sudden changes in pressure. It can allow contaminants to be pumped or siphoned back into buildings’ plumbing system and, potentially, the public water supply. These situations occur if normal pressures are interrupted by a water main break, a power failure, or some other disruption in water service. 

A building’s automatic fire sprinkler system is a water piping network with discharge devices to spray water to control a fire until the fire department arrives. The discharge devices are called automatic sprinklers. When a fire occurs in a building, sprinklers operate automatically immediately after their heat-activated element reaches a predetermined operating temperature. Once operated from the heat of a fire, water is released out of the sprinkler opening in a spray pattern designed to extinguish the fire in the immediate area of fire origin. Most people don’t know that only one or two sprinklers within the fire typically operate as that’s where there is sufficient heat to trigger the operation of those sprinklers.

The article, “Should You Be Doing National Account Work?” was written by Bill Dayton, Director of Affiliate Network at Commercial Fire, and covers the questions every kitchen hood exhaust cleaning (KEC) company owner must ask when deciding if national account company (NAC) work makes sense for their business. 

Highlights include benefits, such as consistent cash flow and zero acquisition cost, more productive and efficient routes, access to work at larger businesses, uncomplicated business growth, and trade-offs (revenue sharing with the NAC, strict compliance requirements, phone call volume, paperwork, and IVR). 

“Should you decide that NAC work is right for your business, you now have some considerations. There may be long-term value in having NAC work as part of your overall business model,” said Dayton. 

To read the full article, visit the IKECA Journal. 

Commercial Fire proudly supports IKECA as an Active North American Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning Company Member.

You’ve seen it a million times in movies and TV shows – a small fire breaks out, and a heroic character grabs a Fire Extinguisher and puts out the flames before they can grow larger. But here is the problem: in the real world, if the Fire Extinguisher isn’t properly maintained and charged when our hero grabs it, it won’t work.

As a Facility Manager, keeping your property, employees, and occupants safe in the event of fire is number one on your list. A close second would be doing so easily and economically. Maintaining your Fire Alarm System(s) would be the place to start. After all, it offers the early warning people need to vacate the premises and alerts the fire department to an emergency. Besides that, there are a number of other reasons you'll want to have them inspected annually, like:

Water. The source of life. A massive benefit to living in modern society is having clean water available at any time. All you have to do is turn on the tap and it comes flowing out crystal clean. But how do we ensure it stays that way, that no dirty water gets mixed back in with the clean? Simple—Backflow Preventers. But what are they? Here’s a simple analogy.

FEMA (Fire Equipment Manufacturers’ Association) recently commissioned a new study on the role portable extinguishers play in reducing carbon monoxide in a building with automatic sprinklers. It found that portable fire extinguishers can reduce fire-related CO2 in a building by over 93% beyond sprinklers on their own. When sprinklers and portable extinguishers are used together, fire-related carbon emissions are cut by 99%. 

The benefits of adding fire extinguishers to a building’s fire protection to reduce its carbon footprint can readily be seen when evaluating emergency response to a fire. These can be categorized into three areas:

If a sudden power outage casts you, your customers, employees, or vendors into darkness, would everyone be able to escape the premises quickly and safely? Finding a way out of this situation will depend on having correctly functioning Exit Signs and Emergency Lights. Unfortunately, most people don’t think about this critical life safety equipment until they’re in the dark. Then it’s too late.

Did you know that the NFPA 101® Life Safety Code mandates regular tests of Emergency Lights? In this NFPA code, it states that every month, a 30-second push button test is to be performed, and an annual 90-minute functional test must be performed on these devices. Keeping up with the codes and standards are difficult enough, let alone having to run your business on top of that. Well, that’s where a National Fire and Life Safety Provider comes into the picture. 

These companies offer nationwide coverage for all the Fire and Life Safety equipment in your building, including Exit Signs and Emergency Lighting. Their services include trained and certified technicians who can perform the necessary services to keep your facility compliant and your occupants and employees safe, including required Monthly and Annual Inspections, Tests, and Maintenance tasks, and any mandated repairs or replacements. These precautions ensure safe exits in an emergency and that the proper records are kept for AHJs.

As a matter of fact, National Fire and Life Safety Providers can maintain and supply the written test and maintenance records that the Code requires. Having these records is extremely important as they must be on the premises should an AHJ request them. Should you misplace this paperwork, then the National Fire and Life Safety Providers will have backup copies on a dashboard where they can be downloaded should you need them.

Did you know that, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), 22% of fires in commercial cooking operations were caused by a failure to clean cooking equipment? Tragically, from 2010 thru 2014, annual averages of three deaths, 110 injuries, and $165 million in property damage costs resulted from these fires.

Commercial Fire is celebrating its 35th anniversary! "We are thankful for the three and a half decades serving the Fire and Life Safety Industry, helping our customers protect their businesses, their employees, and their patrons," says Mark Murray, President of Commercial Fire.

Beginnings
Established in 1988, Commercial Fire has become a leading provider of Fire and Life Safety solutions throughout the U.S. We provide turnkey Fire Protection Services and Kitchen Hood Exhaust Cleaning to some of the biggest restaurants, stores, and convenience stores nationwide. Headquartered in Jacksonville, FL, we are experienced in organizing, maintaining, and servicing all aspects of our customer's requirements.

History
•    1988 Founded in Jacksonville, FL, providing pest control services
•    1989 Began offering Kitchen Hood Exhaust Cleaning (KEC) Service statewide in FL
•    1991 Began expanding KEC coverage throughout the Southeast
•    1996 Became the first nationwide KEC service provider in all 50 states
•    2002 Began offering Fire Protection Services nationwide in all 50 states
•    2007 Expanded into Canada and Puerto Rico
•    2015 Providing KEC or Fire and Life Safety Services in over 100,000 commercial buildings nationwide
•    2017 Joined BHC and became part of a family of companies that provide service, parts, and training in the Fire and Life Industry worldwide
•    2023 Celebrating 35th Anniversary