All new buildings must have approved radio coverage for emergency responders inside based on coverage levels of the public safety communication systems outside the building. Emergency responder radio communication systems...
Why is it when you get to project completion and turnover, delays damage your reputation and skyrocket unexpected costs? You are so focused on completing everything that you spend whatever it takes in extra labor or actual...
It is difficult to know where to start to explain some of the important and often misquoted sections of NFPA 72, the National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code. I will start with two important items relating to proper code use. I...
The “Great Resignation” has been all over the news, and many electrical contractors are blindsided by experienced employees retiring. Many face the challenge of hiring new journeymen and helpers educated enough to enter the...
The cost of materials is up, so availability is down. The cost of labor is up and availability is down. How can you plan for 2022 with these factors working against you? First, let’s look at the root cause. We are in this...
A county fire inspector and a city fire inspector disagreed about the proper spacing and locations of system smoke detectors in a residential building. They questioned whether the spacing should be from center to center or...
What sets you apart from your competition? As the end of 2021 nears, now would be a good time to evaluate how you can maintain what I call your “success differentiators” in the future. The first differentiator should always...
For those of us who were able to work from home because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we learned that remote work is a viable option for the future, and it is now an enterprise strategy being adopted by the business community...
Upgrading aging infrastructure seems to be on everyone’s minds in the post-COVID world we are moving toward. Many contractors will be called on for their recommendations for upgrading building fire alarm systems in their...
October is a special month for fire safety. The National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) Fire Prevention Week occurs this year on October 4-10. Generally, during this period, fire prevention officers would provide fire...
The question of whether fire alarm systems will work when needed focuses on operational reliability. Ultimately, the goal for any system is that it will detect the fire early enough and sound the alarm loud enough to ensure...
What will the office of the future look like and how will it affect fire alarm system design? I recently read a prediction by Steelcase, a manufacturer of office equipment, stating what the company foresees: more flexible...
Depending on where you live, there are maybe large groups of historical or cultural properties, or possibly only a few that will need your services. As a professional electrical contractor, you have the training and ability...
When I was growing up, I remember a TV commercial slogan made famous by Sy Syms, the founder of Syms clothing stores: “An educated consumer is our best customer.” I believe we can adapt this slogan to the fire alarm system...
For many years, the installation of fire-protection systems has been strictly a capital expenditure with recurring operating costs. Typically, the standard procedure has been to read the fire alarm system specification, look...
Early on a Sunday morning in July 2017, a massive fire destroyed a luxury apartment complex under construction in Waltham, Mass. The fire was the second Boston-area blaze in a month to ravage a new project built with an...
We all remember our first fire alarm system installation. Good or bad, we learned from it. On my first installation, I remember going back to my office to speak with the “engineer” we relied on for information. He actually...
I know from experience with contractors in the field that, when it comes to mass notification systems (MNS), being required to perform a risk analysis for the MNS ranks just above getting a root canal at the dentist’s office...
Electrical contractors work hard to learn their business and understand how to complete a project professionally and make a profit. The profit part ensures ECs can stay in business. The professional part is mandatory if ECs...
The model building code treats campus dormitories as residential occupancies. However, a dorm does not function the same as a commercial apartment building. In some cases, the architect has created a physical design to...
