Molly Smith

Kitchen Safety: Dealing with Fires this Holiday

Molly Smith · Nov 13, 2020 ·

Keeping fire safety a priority during the merry, yet manic holidays is very important. Thanksgiving is the peak day for cooking fires, followed by Christmas Day. Distractions are at an all time high with all of the people around and activities going on.

According to a Fire Estimate Summary presented by FEMA, in 2018 there were 103,600 reported fires in nonresidential buildings. Of those fires, 31,700 were from cooking. That is three times higher than any other fire causes. Cooking fires alone made up 31% of all nonresidential fires in 2018. 🤯

Understanding how a fire works will give you the tools and knowledge to extinguish it.

The Fire Tetrahedron is a pyramid to help understand the necessary ingredients for most fires. Each of the four sides illustrates an element that must be present in order for a fire to occur: oxygen, heat, fuel and a chain reaction.

Ways to put out a grease fire:

Turn off the heat. DO NOT try and move the pan. You could burn yourself or spill the burning grease in the kitchen, causing the fire to spread.
Cover the pot. This will eliminate the oxygen that is needed to sustain the fire. The lid needs to be metal because the heat will shatter a glass lid. If you don’t have a metal lid then a cookie sheet will suffice.
Pour baking soda or salt on a grease fire. Baking soda releases carbon dioxide which smothers the flames. However, this will only work with small grease fires because it will take a large amount to get the job done. Salt works well because it helps absorb the heat and you will only need a moderate amount, about one cup, to put a decent size grease fire out.
Use a Class B Dry Chemical Fire Extinguisher. The mess a fire extinguisher leaves behind might be as bad as the destruction of the fire, not to mention it will contaminate your kitchen. With that being said, this should be a last resort if the first 3 options do not work.

Whatever you do, DO NOT pour water on a grease fire! Oil and water do not mix. Adding water to a grease fire can cause the oil to splash and spread throughout your kitchen and other appliances. In most cases adding water will generate an even larger fire, creating a small explosion. This happens because oils burns at a much higher temperature then water boils, so when it is added to the oil it instantly sinks below it.

Slow motion video of what happens when water is added to a grease fire.

Do You Include Fire Protection Into Your Annual Budget?

Molly Smith · Oct 13, 2020 ·

The need for buildings to be safe and the systems within them to be operational is and will continue to be critical to public and fire responder safety.”
– Jim Pauley, CEO & President of NFPA

Something very important to consider when developing your annual budget is Fire Protection for your business. This allows foresight into any issues that may arise throughout the year. To elaborate, this does not only include annual and semi-annual inspections, but also any maintenance and/or repairs needed throughout the year. In addition, if you are planning any tenant improvement projects, a detailed budget is essential for the success of the project.

Your budget is basically an educated guess based on your past revenue and expenditures that will help you see what the future of your business finances will look like. With that being said, the more detailed and accurate you can be, the more efficient your budget will be.

Conducting your own visual inspection will allow you to anticipate and account for possible repairs. A checklist is attached of some common items to look for when conducting your own visual inspection. Taking into account all of the annual inspections, semi-annual inspections and possible repairs will help you create a more precise budget. This will allow you to actually proceed with all of the necessary inspections and/or repairs through an A P Fire Protection licensed contractor. Failure to consider all the above will have a negative impact on your planned success and overall profitability. Trying to save a buck, because you didn’t plan for certain repairs, could have devastating consequences!

click here to download checklist

By taking the time to factor Fire Protection into your budget, you will be giving yourself the greatest chance of achieving your budgetary goals. Which in turn will make your business more successful. If you are unaware of how much it costs to get your systems inspected or which repairs could be needed, schedule a free walkthrough and A P Fire Protection will be happy to provide you with a free estimate.

Schedule a free walkthrough

What Does A P Fire Protection Do?

Molly Smith · Aug 7, 2020 ·

We do it all!!

A P Fire Protection is dedicated and passionate about protecting your property and employees. We test, inspect, install and repair all related devices including but not limited to fire alarm systems, fire sprinkler suppression systems, fire extinguishers and backflows. In an ideal situation, you make one call to fix all of your fire protection needs. Not calling three separate companies, or even two, just one call and A P Fire Protection will do it all! We are committed to excellence while aggressively growing and maintaining the relationships we have fostered with our customers over the years.

1. Fire Sprinkler Suppression Systems

The main job of the sprinkler suppression system is to slow the spread of a fire, allowing ample time for emergency responders to arrive. They are designed to react automatically in the event of a fire which allows for safe egress of anyone around. For the most part, inspections of your sprinkler system should happen annually. However, depending on the type of system you have, the frequency of your inspections could increase. For that reason, it is important to know exactly what type of system you have and what your local AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction) requires. If you are unaware then an A P Fire Protection employee would gladly walk your property and provide you with a free estimate.

Schedule a free walkthrough

2. Fire Alarm Systems

Fire Alarms are so important because they provide prompt warning when a fire breaks out. If the building is occupied then the notifying devices will sound off, telling occupants to leave immediately. If there is nobody in the building and the alarm activates then the monitoring company will notify the appropriate people in a timely manner, including emergency responders. If a system or its connected devices are not properly maintained then it can result in unwanted, ‘annoying’ beeping coming from the panel. This can result in a negative response from the occupants and even diminish the effectiveness of the alarm when it is actually triggered. Any beeping from your panel means your fire alarm systems needs attention – do not put this off! The ability to detect a fire early is the difference between losing everything and keeping the damage to a minimum!

Watch to learn more about Panels

watch to learn more about initiating devices

Watch to learn more about notifying devices

3. Kitchen Hood Suppression System

Often times a kitchen is the heartbeat of a restaurant, but where there are high heats and grease there are also big risks for fire. A fire needs three things to flourish – heat, oxygen and fuel. The purpose of the suppression system is to starve the fire of its oxygen by smothering the flames with a wet chemical. As soon as the nozzles inside the kitchen hood exhaust detects a fire the gas line/electrical power automatically shuts off which deprives the fire of its fuel source as well. Kitchen Hoods need to be serviced semi-annually because if the grease build up gets too extensive then it will effect the performance of the fusible links, which need to pop in order to release the agent.

4. Fire Extinguishers

Although often times overlooked or forgotten in the corner of a room, fire extinguishers are a necessity when it comes to work place safety. They can be the difference between a small, localized fire and an incident that now requires the fire department. Similar to a sprinkler system, fire extinguishers are meant to assist employees in controlling the spread of a fire for a safe escape while emergency responders are deployed. Equally important to knowing how to use a fire extinguisher, is knowing which one to use for certain fires. There are multiple different classes of fires that all require specific extinguishers. Quick overview:

Class A – Ordinary Combustibles (wood and paper)
Class B – Flammable Liquids (gas, grease, oil and alcohol)
Class C – Electrical Equipment (computers, servers, motors and appliances)
Class D – Flammable Metals

If you don’t know how to properly use a fire extinguisher, schedule a training session with A P Fire Protection! Our team is ready to provide you with the highest quality training and services.

Fire Extinguisher Training