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.

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

It’s halfway to Halloween! Commercial Fire’s annual Trick-or-Treat tradition took place in October of 2022. As part of this fun community event, the Commercial Fire offices were transformed into spooky spaces, where invited students and teachers from the North Florida School of Special Education could collect a lot of delicious candy and some fun memories.

In previous years, the child-friendly themes included “Old MacDonald Had a Farm”, “The Wizard of Oz”, and “Star Wars”. 

“Our whole team came together to give the children a fun and wholesome Halloween experience! I couldn’t be prouder of their creativity and kindness in putting on this awesome event,” said Mark Murray, President of Commercial Fire.

Christy Galagarza serves as an Affiliate Recruiter here at Commercial Fire. Her responsibilities really all boil down to one concept: being a helpful and available resource to all of our Affiliates and prospective Affiliates, focusing on building relationships that will help increase our footprint.

In this outreach role, Christy is often the first team member that new and prospective Affiliates meet. Her initial instinct is always to help others achieve their goals. As a valued team member at Commercial Fire, for almost 19 years, Christy cares about what our Affiliates need and strives to assist them in fulfilling those needs. Once an applicant is approved to join our Affiliate Network, Christy, who is based in Florida, also assists with the initial phases of the onboarding cycle. Countless team members have benefited from working with Christy, and we are proud to have her in our organization!

We asked Christy what she sees as the most important questions that prospective Affiliates need answered about joining our network. Here are her insights:

Q: What is the biggest benefit of being a Commercial Fire Affiliate and why?

"The biggest benefit is that there are no growth acquisition costs. When a service company is looking to grow their routes, without adding to costs, we bridge the gap. By joining our Affiliate Network, they can immediately begin servicing locations for some of the nation's largest and most established companies and organizations."

Q: What is the most common question asked by prospective Affiliates?

"The most common question is, ‘How are payments handled?’ I tell them that they get paid shortly after the job is completed, regardless of when the customer pays. That’s a huge benefit for them to see."

Q: If you had a list of "best-kept secrets" that you would offer to prospective Affiliates, which one would you highlight and why?

"Today, a potential Affiliate called and asked if they would need to hire more techs if they joined our network. I said that it is up to them. They can start with the team of techs that they have now and then, if things work out, they can grow their business through us, ask for more work, and then hire more techs. The biggest secret is how much they can grow their business with us -- they really can start small and grow to be very big."

To contact Christy about joining our Affiliate Network, email Christy.galagarza@commercialfire.com.

Get to know more of our incredible employees, like Christy Galagarza, in our upcoming blog posts and learn how you can join the Commercial Fire Affiliate Network!

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.

NFPA standards mandate pre-engineered fire suppression systems for special hazards. These hazards involve flammable/combustible materials, liquids, and gases found in commercial kitchens, paint spray operations, data centers, electrical storage rooms, refueling areas, chemical plants, and more. That’s why a complete fire protection plan is necessary to protect your buildings, occupants, and employees.

As a Facility Manager, understanding the various aspects of fire and life safety for your building(s) or space(s) is not only paramount to avoiding fines, but critical to protecting your employees and patrons. This is no easy task, as you are probably responsible for numerous locations locally, regionally, and/or locations that are scattered around the country. On top of that, there is the fire and life safety equipment itself as well as the numerous codes, regulations, and laws that govern over it, requiring installation of this or service of that. It can be overwhelming trying to get your arms around all of it or, moreover, even knowing what equipment or systems you have or who’s responsible for maintaining it.