Out of all the different resources that people interact with in their daily lives, one of the most essential ones that many take for granted is light. 

Given that it’s become a common fixture thanks to how widely available and cheap it is, it’s easy to see why many end up undermining its value. From reading and working on stuff at home to cooking and watcahing TV without hurting your eyes, this all-essential resource plays a crucial role in your life that you can’t overlook. 

While we can all enjoy a great deal of illumination, whether it’s from a lamp, chandelier, outdoor lamp, or the sun, there’s one crucial situation where it won’t be as available: emergencies. 

The problem of not having light and a solution that works

Whether it may be due to a natural disaster or circuit failure, the main inconvenience of modern lighting is that it often goes out when it’s needed most. 

On average, New Jersey residents have had at least one experience where they’ve run out of light when they needed it the most, and this has caused many to reevaluate the way they perceive it. Fortunately, running out of illumination no longer has to be a significant problem, thanks to dependable emergency lighting systems. In fact, New Jersey law has required most buildings to come equipped with emergency lighting systems since 1974!

An overview of emergency lighting

Emergency lighting systems are simply defined as battery-backed or powered devices that automatically turn on when a building’s lighting circuit fails, or it experiences a power outage.

Reinforced by federal, provincial, and association code mandates, the vitality of this emergency system is upheld through constant monitoring and non-negotiable standards. With their help, many buildings all over the state’s commercial, residential, and industrial areas have managed to keep their inhabitants safe with adequate lighting in dire situations.

On the topic of egress

If you’ve stayed in a commercial or residential complex for a while now, you may have grown familiar with the placement of emergency lights in your area. These emergency lights are generally placed along long stretches of paths that lead to an exit door, which is technically defined as a path of egress.

This pertains to a continuous and unobstructed way to exit a structure, building, or space that tenants must walk along in emergency situations. During events that call for a sudden evacuation, these paths must be well-lit with emergency lighting systems so that everyone vacates the area as quickly as possible without accidental stampedes or injuries.

Other types of emergency lighting that your building or property should have

Apart from the lamps that you might be familiar with, there are several other emergency lighting systems that can be used to ensure tenants’ safety at all times. In particular, signs are acquired as a result of fire inspection company recommendations as they direct even the most unfamiliar tenants to safety. 

Here are a few common types of alternative emergency lighting fixtures that you need to have in your space: 

• Lighted exit signs
• Running man signs
• Sortie signs
• Photo-luminescent signs

Conclusion

For any building in New Jersey, one crucial safety measure that can never be overlooked is an emergency lighting system that keeps all inhabitants as safe as possible. If you’re unsure of whether or not your current system is adequate to meet federal and state building codes or don’t have one at all, following this guide can help you get started on the right foot!

We offer fire protection services in New Jersey that specializes in maintenance, fire inspections, and repairs for emergency lights and fire extinguishers for commercial and residential properties. Get in touch with us today to learn more about how we can best help and serve your needs!

Keeping a functional fire extinguisher in your home or place of work is required by law for a reason. After all, a working fire extinguisher could one day be the difference between a small fire that was quickly put out and one that leaves your property charred beyond recognition. Depending on its physical condition, as well as whether it’s been used lately, then your building’s fire extinguisher could be in need of a recharge or a replacement. 

In this article we will discuss the situations that will require you to recharge or replace the canister, in order to have a better grasp of the fire extinguisher’s role in keeping you and your home or workplace safe.  

When To Refill

Your fire extinguisher needs to be recharged if it has been used recently to put out a fire, provided that it has no visible defects such as cracking on the canister, and no missing or damaged parts such as the hose, gauge, pins, or the nozzles. It’s important to recharge the fire extinguisher even if it was used only sparingly to ensure that it is at its full power in the next incident. You can refill the same canister as often as you need in 12 years. After that, the National Fire Protection Agency recommends it be replaced. 

If your unit has never been used and has never seen a recharge in 10 years, then it’s best to get it recharged as well. Some fire departments and accredited fire extinguisher services such as Atlantic Fire Protection will recharge your canister for a fee. Some companies may even offer annual maintenance and hydrostatic testing. However, the recharge you did on a 10 year old canister will only be good for another two years. 

When to Replace 

The most telltale signs of a damaged fire extinguisher are cracked hoses, broken or missing pins, an unstable handle, and visible rust on the surface. Another way to tell if a fire extinguisher should be replaced is if it continues to lose air pressure even after recharging. In this case, your portable fire extinguisher should be replaced immediately.

If a fire extinguisher appears to be fine, but has a missing inspection tag, it’s also highly recommended that it be replaced. This is because the inspection tag is often the only record of maintenance history. Without it, you’ll have no record of its current condition, or when it was last recharged. If a fire incident occurs, the same fire extinguisher could prove to be inutile in putting out a fire. 

Which is more economical?

Given that your fire extinguisher has no physical deformities, has complete and working parts, and is no older than 12 years, then having it recharged is the cheaper option. However, given that a working fire extinguisher is your first line of defense against a fire that could end up costing millions in damage, it’s not advisable to skimp on your fire extinguisher altogether. 

Conclusion

Fire extinguishers are not just there for compliance. In case of fire, a working fire extinguisher may be the only difference between a small incident and a life threatening disaster. If you’re still in doubt and want to ensure that your fire extinguishers are always ready, it’s a good idea to contact providers of certified fire extinguishers near you. 

Atlantic Fire Protection is a fire suppression systems inspection company from New Jersey. Aside from selling and servicing fire extinguishers, we also install kitchen suppression systems and emergency/exit lighting systems. Contact us today to know more. 

For a commercial space or company owner in the US, preparing for emergencies such as fire can be confusing. There are national guidelines set for fire protection companies on how to manage fire and safety in the workplace. However, does this mean that you, as an owner, cannot or should not do any fire preparations or inspections internally? 

In this article, we try to set a clear boundary between what a property owner or head of the company can do as DIY fire prevention steps, and what a licensed fire protection company should handle professionally. 

What You Can Do

Here are your responsibilities as the company owner:

1. Have Fire Prevention Plan and Training

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA) require employers with at least ten employees to create their written fire safety and prevention plan. This plan should include the following:

• How to prevent a fire from occurring in the workplace
• Steps to take when a fire happens
• List of all the emergency procedures to follow
• The designated fire watch and fire safety personnel
• The defined fire escape routes in the building

The company owner should discuss everything in this plan verbally to all employees to ensure everyone is aligned. When a new employee joins the organization, they should also review the internal fire safety and prevention plan, and the head should orient them of their responsibilities.

2. Make the Fire Safety and Prevention Plan Part of the Daily Work Routine

Here are the essential instructions you should include in your company fire prevention plan:

• Store flammable items (paper, clothing, chemicals, etc.) away from flames, static electricity, and electrical outlets.
• Keep exit areas free from any obstructions and flammable materials.
• Choose smoking areas away from any hazards.
• Have proper ashtrays or ash receptacles in your smoking area.
• Maintain cleanliness in all areas, especially those with cooking appliances. 
• Unplug unused appliances.

3. Inspect Kitchen Hood Suppression System and Maintain its Cleanliness

For restaurants or other businesses that require a commercial kitchen with a hood suppression system, you should do a weekly, monthly, or bi-monthly inspection and cleaning to make sure it is working well. When there is a grease build-up in your fire suppression system, it will not work as it should be.   

4. Inspect Fire Sprinkler and Suppression Systems

Assign and train someone from the company who will oversee your fire sprinkler and suppression system. That person should do a weekly check to ensure the following are in their proper condition:

• Air pressure
• Water pressure
• Pre-action 
• Deluge System
• Control valves (There should be no leaking valves. All should be sealed and open.)

Every month, on-site fire protection personnel should come to examine the following in your commercial space:

• Wet pipe systems gauges – Should be in good condition
• Water pressure – Should be well-maintained and have no signs of damage
• Alarm valves – Should have no physical issues 

What You Cannot Do: The Fire Protection Company’s Responsibilities

Here are the things you should let professionals do. A fire protection technician should visit your company to perform the following examinations:

• Check if the fire sprinkler and suppressions systems in your property are working properly
• Check if the fire extinguishers recharge or if there is a need for any repair
• Test water supply, inspect, and conduct necessary repairs
• Check water storage tanks
• Inspect the backflow preventer or do repairs, if necessary
• Monitor the fire alarm
• Check the kitchen hood suppression systems

The fire protection technician should conduct these tests every quarter, every year, and every five and ten years. Alongside the inspection, they should test, maintain, and do repairs.

You should also know that a fire protection technician should have the following credentials before allowing them to do their inspection:

• Professional license
• Comprehensive records of at least one year (preferably electronically)
• Ability to produce their documents when needed

Conclusion

Simply put, you need to have and implement your DIY preventative measures while working with a licensed fire protection technician to ensure the safety of your workspace. The whole organization should know its role in preventing a fire from starting, and everyone should contribute to the protection and security of their whole place.

For fire extinguisher inspection or fire suppression installation in the New Jersey area, Atlantic Fire Protection is here to help you. We are a licensed company that provides fire inspection, maintenance, repairs, sales, and services. Contact us today at 732-443-0608.

One of the worst nightmares of a restaurant owner is a kitchen fire. Though restaurant operators should be taking steps toward fire prevention, even during the construction of their store, no one can prepare 100 percent for anything. There is always a risk of something going wrong. Fortunately, fire suppression systems are a requirement for commercial establishments, and these can help you keep fires under control.

You need to conduct regular fire extinguisher inspections. Make sure the system is functioning normally, or you might find yourself in the worst possible situation where your system doesn’t work at the exact moment you need it to function. Inspections also prevent untimely discharge of your system and ensure that it passes an insurance audit. 

Here are things you need to know about fire suppression systems and how to maintain them.

Have professional inspections at least twice a year

Every six months, your kitchen fire suppression system should pass an inspection by an NFPA-certified and trained technician. It helps ensure that your system operates well and allows you to have access to high-quality replacement parts should you need those.

Inspectors test your system in-depth. They include tests on various functionalities like control components, actuators, remote pull stations, and electrical interlocks. Inspectors also look at the condition of the tanks themselves—the state of the appliance, the duct, and the plenum nozzles and the blow-off caps. Aside from these, they check the link line and your detectors and trace the documentation of previous test dates.

Both dry and wet-chemical fire-extinguishing systems need hydrostatic testing every 12 years. These will ensure that they are still useful in putting out fires and will prevent chemical leaks. You should also test dry chemical systems every six years for caking.

Conduct in-house inspections every month

Monthly visual inspections should be part of your routine right after your fire suppression installation. You or your kitchen manager should check the hood or duct for grease or dirt build-up and if the tamper indicator is intact. 

The kitchen manager or restaurant owner should also see if you have pointed the nozzles at the right appliance. It helps reduce the time you spend putting out a fire. You can also ensure that the pull station is not blocked and that the personnel can operate the gauges efficiently. 

Finally, double-check the dates of the previous inspections and see if the results on procedures done match the current state of your equipment.

Call your fire extinguisher service if the system goes off

A suppression system will not go off without a trigger, so if this happens to yours, you have to call your fire protection company. If the system sustained any damage, you need to have it repaired before refilling cylinders and recharging the system. A restaurant that has malfunctioning suppression equipment might have to halt operations temporarily to comply with fire and building codes, so be sure you address this as soon as possible.

Keep your documents for insurance and compliance purposes

Documentation includes properly marked service tags, repairs made or discrepancies addressed and inspection reports to be sent to your local fire department. You can get these from your technician, or the professional in charge of inspecting your system. After these inspections, do not get rid of these documents. Always have a record of your inspections so that you can show how your business complies with insurance and government requirements.

Conclusion

A restaurant’s top priority is always serving great food. However, you do not want to compromise being able to do this because of a faulty fire prevention system. Avoid hassles from maintenance issues and collaborate with a fire suppression systems inspection company that can address your concerns promptly and efficiently.

Restaurants and small businesses in New Jersey and Eastern PA can call on Atlantic Fire Pro for their suppression system maintenance needs. We provide fire suppression installation, inspection, maintenance, and more. Call us today for more information.

Disasters, no matter how big or small, never come at an opportune time. More often than not, they arrive when we’re complacent and relaxed, forcing us to make quick decisions to keep ourselves and our families out of harm’s way. In such events, we can only hope that we have prepared enough.

The effects of power outages are often underestimated, but it’s often more than just being in the dark. It might be easy if it’s just your home, but what if it’s an entire building without power? How do you keep safe if you can’t see anything in the halls and stairways? 

Accidents are more likely to happen in the dark 

The likelihood of devastating accidents increases by a large margin during a blackout or brownout. Dimly lit areas with little access to natural lightings, like storage spaces, kitchens in restaurants, and the inner areas of buildings, are more susceptible to dangerous and life-threatening accidents.

This problem is especially pervasive in the US, which experiences a generally higher-than-average number of long-lasting power outages than other developed countries.

To prepare for power outages and other related emergencies, you must have a well-maintained set of emergency lights in your building. They can assuage panic, help bring people to safety much more quickly, and reduce the risk of accidents and injury.

The numbers don’t lie

A 2013 study showed that the 2003 blackout in New York City led to a massive increase in accident-related deaths—an astounding 122 percent. The deaths were not just out of tripping or falling but included carbon monoxide poisoning, food poisoning, hypothermia, and so on.

This revealed that power outages are likely to happen due to another type of emergency situation, such as fires and inclement weather. 

While a blackout is an extreme case, it can show the dangerous effects of having to live without lights and electricity. 

Another study found that a third of US workers feel they would not be able to navigate their workplace safely in a power outage, with 50 percent of US adults feeling unsafe about their chances going up and down staircases in the same conditions. 

While most offices have an emergency plan, 42 percent said they would have trouble executing that plan anyway. 

The way out is lighting

A building manager should make sure that appropriate emergency lighting is installed, especially in areas where more traffic could be expected in the event of an emergency. This includes hallways, staircases (especially since elevators are not an option), and emergency exits.

Depending on the state or location, regular (around once a month or so) testing of your emergency lighting equipment is mandatory. They must be tested for functionality and battery longevity, to ensure safety in emergency situations.

It is also imperative to maintain diligent records of inspections, as your local government units might request these during inspections. Any failures in testing or failed equipment must be recorded and replaced as soon as possible. 

Conclusion

Prevention, in whatever case or situation, will always be better than cure. Emergency lighting is a way to mitigate the risks of dealing with unexpected events and can protect the inhabitants of any building. Compromising on safety is likely to result in the destruction of property, bodily harm, or even fatalities.

For more information on emergency lighting in New Jersey, consult us at Atlantic Fire Protection. We provide security measures for a wide range of disasters.