Fire Alarm Systems

Early detection is the most critical aspect for warning household occupants and notifying authorities of a possible fire. A fire can smolder for hours and not be noticed or seen by a neighbor or passerby. ProTec’s advanced electronic smoke and heat detection sensors can provide early detection and sound the alarm, awakening those sleeping and others to safely exit the home. In addition, a monitored system will automatically notify the authorities giving vital time to get to the scene when seconds count.

Over the years, design and innovation have led to a better fire alarm system for your home. When fire alarms first came on the scene, they were basic electrical circuits powered by a small battery.

Today’s fire alarm systems employ the use of microprocessors and other internal circuitry to provide you and your family a system that can;

  • Alert the family
  • Alert the local fire station
  • Provide 24-hour monitoring for heat
  • Provide 24-hour monitoring for smoke

Every year the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) provides data on residential fires from the previous year. Since the introduction of residential fire alarm systems, those numbers have decreased by as much as 50% overall.

Chapter 29 of the NFPA code states that to be the most effective, you should place fire alarms in the following areas;

  • All sleeping/guest rooms
  • Outside the sleeping areas within 20 feet of the door to the sleeping area
  • Every level of the home, including basements
  • Crawl spaces and attics

Conduct a monthly test on your fire alarm system to ensure everything is in proper working order.

Plan & Practice

Gather your family and establish an escape route for each occupant, maintain fully charged fire extinguishers get rope ladders for upstairs bedrooms, and designate a meeting spot in the yard in the event of a fire.

The most beneficial tool to you and your family is to have a fire plan and practice what to do in case a fire starts in your home. A fire can spread quickly, leaving you with as little as two minutes to escape to safety.

You need to pull all family members together and formulate a plan that can be practiced and perfected if a fire breaks out. Then, take a walk through your home with your family, and make sure everyone is aware of the escape route according to which room they are in when the fire alarm system sounds.

The NFPA has a very informative web page on this subject and some very valuable tools like mapping your home with a grid system to help you plan for your safe evacuation in the presence of fire.

Once you have a plan, it is wise to practice that plan regularly.

When you are ready to provide your family with the best available fire alarm systems on the market, the team here at ProTec Security Systems stands ready to provide you with the very best fire alarm systems.

Carbon Monoxide

Do you have a gas furnace, stove, water heater, or dryer? If not operating properly these appliances can be a source of carbon monoxide.

What is Carbon Monoxide?

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless and toxic gas. Because it is impossible to see, taste or smell the toxic fumes, CO can kill you before you are aware it is in your home. At lower levels of exposure, CO causes mild effects that are often mistaken for the flu. These symptoms include headaches, dizziness, disorientation, nausea and fatigue. The results of CO exposure can vary significantly from person to person depending on age, overall health and the concentration and length of exposure.
Source Environmental Protection Agency 3/22/2011

ProTec offers hardwire or wireless carbon monoxide detectors that can easily be programed into the alarm system providing an alarm in the home and notifying responding authorities. If you have gas appliances we highly recommend to install a carbon monoxide detector, whether you purchase from us or your local retailer.