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August 1, 2017 by Total Fire and Safety
Thank you to our client, Discount Tire, who chose a beautiful day for their recent annual golf outing. It was held July 27 at the lovely Tamarack Golf Course in Naperville, Illinois. This was the third consecutive year we participated, sending a fearless foursome to the golf outing and we were as always, happy to support our client.
This year, we even sponsored a hole with handsome, environmentally appropriate signage to add to the festivities.
The foursome representing Total Fire & Safety came from varied key service areas of the company. Pictured here are some of our finest employee golfers! From left to right, Jason Schroeder, Vice President; Jason LeGrand, Business Development; Nick Ingoglia, Fire Division Manager and Chris Burroughs, Dispatch Coordinator.
Were it not for the tournament, would these four fire safety men be on the golf course? Golf courses are not typically a fire risk, but fire has been known to destroy the maintenance buildings and club houses that sit adjacent to them. At Total Fire & Safety, our services protect many recreational venues in Chicagoland, Wisconsin and Indiana. And that’s important because such fires break out more often than you think.
In fact, this past May, a Texas and Ohio golf course building were both destroyed from fire.
In Brownsville, Texas, the clubhouse at Valley International Country Club had a blaze on May 13, which most likely began in the kitchen area. Although nobody was hurt, the beautiful venue, including the original two-story clubhouse built in 1910, was ruined. The fire was fueled by a “built-up roof” which was heavier and held the heat more easily as the blaze raged for 12 hours.
Just a few days earlier, fire had destroyed a maintenance shed at the Carlisle Golf Course in Grafton, Ohio. The fire broke out after midnight on May 11 from an unknown cause, but arson is not suspected. The fire department was able to keep the fire from spreading to a nearby residence, but in this case, their challenge was the water source. Since the course was not close to fire hydrants, they had to set up a water shuttle to bring water to the blaze.
It just goes to show how the need for fire safety is everywhere, even in the places we least expect. At Total Fire & Safety, we’re proud to support our clients and keep our recreational areas, as well as our workplace, as safe as possible. If we can help you with your commercial fire protection, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 630-960-5060.
Category: Client Events, Fire News, Fire Safety, Total Fire and Safety Tags: commercial fire protection, fire and safety solutions, golf outing, Total Fire & Safety, Total Fire & Safety client events | Comments Off on Total Fire & Safety Tees it Up!
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December 21, 2015 by Total Fire and Safety
 Photo from Daily Herald Business Ledger/Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com Business owners everywhere know they have to keep their fire protection systems up to code, but what happens when they don’t?
In March 2014, a fire broke out in a foundry building located in Batavia, IL, caused by a careless employee. The fire happened when no one was working in the building, so no employees were hurt. However, the fire caused considerable damage to the foundry as well as the next-door business, Dewell & Dewell, which shares a wall with the foundry. Later, an investigation revealed that the reason the fire caused nearly $500K in damages was that the former tenant, Master Cast Inc., did not maintain a proper fire alarm and fire suppression system.
Now, Master Cast Inc. is being taken to court in a suit alleging the company did not have proper fire alarms and commercial sprinkler systems. The building owner is seeking $450K in damages from Master Cast Inc., and Dewell & Dewell is seeking more than $50K. The lawsuit will come to court this February.
This event is only one of the many cases every year in which a lack of properly installed fire safety equipment leads to extensive damage from fires. If your business isn’t up-to-code on all of your sprinklers, suppression systems and alarms, your business could face disastrous consequences.
This fire also addresses an issue that businesses don’t always prepare for– employee fire safety training. According to the Kane County lawsuit, the fire started when an employee used a grinder near cardboard boxes. An employee who has been trained well would have avoided the fire hazard, and possibly even fight the fire, using an extinguisher the right way.
The best way to avoid situations like this is to ensure that you have regularly scheduled fire equipment inspections. A professional service like Total Fire & Safety can keep your place of business up-to-code and inspected on a regular basis. For information on the many services available to prevent this kind of situation for your business, contact Total Fire & Safety.
Read the latest in the court investigation here:
http://dhbusinessledger.com/Content/Suburban-Trends-and-Issues/Suburban-Trends-and-Issues/Article/Lawsuit-Batavia-foundry-had-no-sprinklers-fire-caused-by-negligent-worker/87/172/17397
Category: Fire Alarm Monitoring, Fire News, Fire Safety, Sprinkler Systems, Suppression system Tags: commercial fire protection, commercial fire safety, fire and safety solutions, fire safety in the news, firesprinklerinspections | Comments Off on Foundry Fire Demonstrates Importance of Proper Commercial Fire Protection
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August 19, 2014 by Total Fire and Safety
 Your commercial fire protection systems should be a “set it and forget it” situation, right? Perhaps, but just like everything, fire systems age too. By updating the system you have, you may be able to save considerable time and money, thanks to advances in the latest life safety technologies. So how do you know when it’s time to update your commercial fire protection? Here are the main telltale signs:
Overall age of the system. The industry has made great strides in fire prevention technology in the past decade. The industry continually makes equipment more efficient and reliable, so if it has been a while since you upgraded, chances are you’re missing something.
Changes in your business or areas of your facility. Have you had any changes that would affect the fire code in a particular area of your facility? For example if you have relocated your flammables to a different area of the building, you may need additional protection, such as additional fire extinguishers or alarm monitoring to remain compliant with fire code. A fire protection professional can help you make the necessary adjustments.
Too many service calls. Have you noticed you are calling more often for system malfunctions? Does it seem like you are constantly scheduling a service call from your fire protection service? Are service calls becoming more routine? Are the bills from your fire protection service inflating because of excessive service calls? These are signs that your older system needs an upgrade to function properly. As an added bonus, you will see a reduction in your service calls and maintenance fees!
And the most important reason for upgrading your system…
You are paying too much for your monitoring services. Many companies aren’t aware of how much they are actually paying their service company to monitor their fire safety every month. It’s possible a simple, inexpensive upgrade can result in a remarkable savings over time. For example, many companies are switching to wireless fire alarm monitoring systems, which allows them to cut their dual landlines and save 70% on their alarm monitoring services each month.
If you have an older building, or if you are wondering if an upgrade can save your business money each month, please call Total Fire and Safety at 630-960-5060 for a FREE evaluation of your current commercial fire protection service.
Category: Fire Safety, Uncategorized Tags: commercial fire protection, commercial fire safety, fire and safety equipment, fire and safety needs, fire and safety software, fire and safety solutions, fire safety software, fire safety solution, firesafetytraining, Total Fire & Safety | Comments Off on Four Telltale Signs You Should Update Your Commercial Fire Protection
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June 12, 2014 by Total Fire and Safety
 What kind of lights do you have in your emergency exit signs? Chances are, they are incandescent and fluorescent lights and probably have been for some time. Now, however, LED (light emitting diode) lighting is becoming a safer, more economical way for businesses to provide reliable, emergency lighting. Have you discovered how LED emergency lights can help your business? Here are the top ten reasons to consider it:
LED COST SAVINGS
LEDs are notorious for saving the customer money. How much will you save making the switch to emergency LED lights? The answer depends upon your facility and number of LED emergency lights, but statistics show the savings could be dramatic. According to Energy Star, a qualified LED bulb has an average operating cost of $1 per year, while a compact florescent bulb’s annual cost is $1.20, $3.50 for a halogen incandescent bulb and $4.80 for a traditional incandescent bulb. In the case of exit lighting, where illumination is 24/7, significant savings always occur when our customers switch to LEDs!
EFFICIENCY One of the reasons LEDs are more affordable to operate is because the LEDs run at a lower temperature than incandescent. This increases the bulb’s efficiency because they generate more energy as light, not heat.
LED LIFESPAN LEDs are also known for their longevity. Since they don’t rely on a burning filament for light, they can last up to 50,000 hours or more! While annual maintenance is still required, our customers appreciate how infrequently LED lights need replacement.
BRIGHTNESS Over the years, the color and technology of LEDs has improved significantly. Today’s LEDs are pleasing to the eye and outshine regular bulbs dramatically. They can be seen from maximum distances, and are therefore perfect for providing illumination in times of emergency.
ADVANCING TECHNOLOGY LED lighting continues to improve and demand for LEDs is increasing. More and more options are becoming available for LED emergency lighting, from standard exit sign units to lighting strips that can be incorporated very subtly into the architectural elements of the buildings.
CONSTRUCTION LED lighting is thinner and lighter than other bulbs and therefore easier to install and maintain. Yet they are truly robust and offer some of the brightest lighting available. In fact, the construction of LED lights and absence of glass makes them the safest choice for mining, oil, exploration and other explosive environments.
RELIABILITY LEDs are easily controlled and since they use a minimum of power, they are ideal for operation from a backup generator or battery. When you need them, LED emergency lights are there.
ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY LEDs are considered environmentally friendly since they contain no lead or mercury. They also last longer than incandescent bulbs, which end up in landfills much sooner. LEDs are considered the “way of the future” and expected to decrease energy costs nationwide.
RESILIENCY LEDs are tough, and resistant to shock and vibration. They are therefore less likely to be damaged in public places.
SPACE EFFICIENCY LEDs are very focused, bringing illumination to designated areas. LEDs rely on their own dedicated optics, drivers and fittings, so they can be easily incorporated into different types of lighting fixtures using a minimum of space.
Still wondering if LED emergency lights are right for you? Contact Us Today for a free estimate on making the switch to LED emergency lighting.
Category: LED Lighting Tags: commercial fire protection, emergency exit lights, emergency lighting | Comments Off on 10 Reasons to Have LED Emergency Lights
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February 21, 2012 by admin
Welcome to the Total Fire and Safety Blog. Here you can get more information on keeping yourself, your children and your property safe from fire and disaster with easy preventative steps. Also should an emergency arise, Total Fire and Safety can educate you, your family or your employees on what to do, where to go and how to keep yourself and others safe in an emergency.
There is lots of safety equipment and technology that can prevent disasters as well as minimize the damages. These technologies are all available through Total Fire and Safety:
- Fire Alarms
- Sprinkler Systems
- Fire Pumps
- Backflow Prevention Plumbing
- Fire Extinguishers
- Emergency Lights
- Fire Suppression Systems
- First Aid
Also Total Fire and Safety offers full training courses on all of our technologies and equipment to be utilized properly in an emergency situation.
Category: Total Fire and Safety Tags: commercial fire protection, commercial fire safety, equipment, fire, fire and safety equipment, fire and safety needs, fire and safety solutions, fire safety solution, lifesafety, safety, technology, Total Fire & Safety, training | Comments Off on Total Fire and Safety Blog
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