Commercial Fire Blog

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.

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:

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.

Commercial Fire recognizes the struggles that many of our Affiliate Partners are experiencing with the current business environment. That's why we're excited to announce a new program that will help you grow your business, improving your bottom-line. Our new QuickPay Program not only does that, but ensures you get paid quickly when completing your Commercial Fire work orders.

Finding new customers is the key to virtually every business success. No matter what industry is served or what service or product is offered, identifying fresh prospects is the bottom line to growth. And it is no different in the Fire and Life Safety Industry, especially for those companies servicing and selling equipment that is unique to this industry. Even though a good portion of the products and services that Fire and Life Safety businesses offer are required by law, many business owners are discovering just how hard it is to generate new revenue.

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!

Fire extinguishers are considered the first defense against fire and can be found in numerous locations—buildings, structures, vehicles, and marine craft of all kinds. Consequently, questions surround the placement of fire extinguishers, where the general public may use them, and if they do, would the untrained individual be able to operate an extinguisher?

If a fire broke out right now, would you know where the closest fire extinguisher is? Even though most people will never use a fire extinguisher, it’s a critical lifesaving tool that you HAVE to know how to operate. According to NFPA 10, there are two key requirements to ensure that an extinguisher will perform in the event of a fire.