Cases of False Fire Alarms where the fire department is unnecessarily dispatched can be extremely time consuming, and these occurrences can deal a heavy blow to your business’s bottom line. Therefore, it is important to reduce the odds of this disruption of your staff and business occuring at all. Take a look at the following four ways to reduce false fire alarms so that you can keep your business and employees safe, while allowing the authorities to focus on real emergency situations that demand their immediate attention.

1. Maintain System

   One of the best ways to prevent false alarms is to adhere to a regular maintenance schedule. The alarm company will be able to inform you of what you need to do on your end to keep the unit operating properly. This might include conducting tests from time to time and even using a vacuum cleaner periodically to ensure that your smoke detectors are not obstructed. If you keep on top of maintenance, you’ll reduce the odds of false fire alarms. In order to ensure that maintenance issues don’t fall between the cracks, assign these important tasks to members of your staff.

2. Think Ahead

   If you have work done at your commercial property that can produce lots of visible dust, such as sanding or welding, you could inadvertently set off your smoke detectors. In the event that you plan to do this sort of work yourself or have it done by a contractor, it’s best to inform your alarm company beforehand. If your alarm company knows of the situation they can take extra steps to verify whether or not an alarm is a real problem before dispatching the authorities.

3. Install Properly

   While many home fire alarm systems can be installed by a do-it-yourselfer, it’s best to rely on professional installers if you’re equipping your business, because the process will be more time consuming and involved. Having it set up professionally might save you the headaches that could come if you improperly do it yourself. In the event that you opt to do it yourself, carefully follow all of the installation steps to minimize the risk of setting it up incorrectly, and then test it out post-installation to ensure that everything works properly.

4. Watch the Stove

   Even something like burned popcorn can trigger a false fire alarm. So, it goes without saying that being careful in and around the kitchen area is an important way of reducing the chances of a false fire alarm. This might mean implementing policies specific to your workplace’s eating area to ensure that workers are using the facilities safely.

False fire alarms can definitely be a problem that costs you a significant amount of money, especially if the authorities respond to the alarm and find that there is no real problem. By following the tips above, you can lessen the odds of this happening.