You know that your fire alarm system is one of the most important life safety systems in place at your office, warehouse, church, school, or any other place of business. However, did you realize that reliability can be suspect—unless you are having it regularly certified by a professional? Take a look at these reasons why annual fire alarm inspections should be an important part of your property maintenance schedule.

• Testing is a Legal Requirement

You know that you have to have a fire alarm system, but did you know that the law requires that you have your fire protection system inspected? The NFPA 72 National Fire Alarm Code requires that your fire alarm system be tested, inspected, and certified annually. While protecting your building and your people is important, staying within the confines of the law is another good reason to make sure your "fire annual" is current. Annual fire alarm inspections and certifications should be done by a licensed fire alarm contractor who knows and understands your system.

• Alarm Systems Save Lives

Many fires start very small and may not be noticed by yourself or your staff. The key to getting everyone out of a burning building is to act quickly. A WORKING fire alarm system will help you do just that. If your fire system isn't tested, the self-monitoring functions that are built into it may not let you know it is broken until it is too late. Alarm systems monitor their circuits and communication pathways, but these features can degrade, be deliberately defeated (for nuisance reasons) or become non-functional over time.

• Standard Guidelines Change

Even if you think you know the standards for installation and inspection of fire alarm systems, there are radical differences between system types. Licensed, certified techs can help. The guidelines are always changing. It’s worth refreshing your knowledge or working with an expert who can assure that you are on the right page when it comes to standards.

• There May Be Other Requirements

Did you realize that your insurance company or landlord may have requirements in place regarding fire alarm inspection too? This is especially true for property managers, healthcare, and school or daycare buildings and facilities. Take the time to review your fire inspection report paperwork and make sure you are following these guidelines too. They could require more frequent inspections, or specialized reports, so it might be time to call a professional.

• SAFE, Inc. Can Help

You don’t have to deal with the fire alarm inspection process all alone. The certified team at SAFE, Inc. can help! By working with a certified professional, you know that every task is completed quickly and accurately every time.

When you properly maintain your fire alarm system, you can relax and feel good knowing that your property and people are protected from fire and other potential hazards. This is not something that you should pass over and think about doing “later.” Having an inspection today could save lives and money too! Contact SAFE, Inc. for more information or to schedule fire alarm inspections for your property as soon as possible. We are your business security solution in central and northeast Florida including Jacksonville, Ocala, St. Augustine, and Daytona.

 As a business owner or property manager, you have a lot of different things on your plate. One thing you should never have to worry about is your annual fire alarm inspection. This should be a simple process that only takes a few minutes.

Five Tips to Reduce Worries and Become ready for the Next Inspection

•    Test Sensors and Detectors Yourself – It only takes a few moments to make a quick pass through your building and test each sensor and detector for yourself. This way, if there is a problem you can resolve it before the Fire Marshal finds it.
•    Check Batteries – Check (and replace) all batteries on a schedule. Some people like to check and change batteries twice a year when the time changes while others prefer choosing other dates. The important thing is to be consistent and do it each and every time. If you find a battery is draining faster than it should, this could be a sign you need to look into repairing or replacing your detection devices
•    Follow Guidelines – Take the time to learn more about what the fire standards are for your particular city or jurisdiction. When you know these codes inside and out, you will be much better prepared for what the inspector will be looking for and what he may have to say.
•    Work with a Certified Fire Alarm Company – A company that knows fire alarms and has state certifications in place will be able to work with you to find the right solutions to your fire alarm problems. In fact, a good company may be conducting more in-depth tests than the fire marshal will!
•    Contact Safe Inc. – If you are not already working with Safe Inc., you are missing out on our superior benefits. Our team of experts can help you with monitoring your devices and even choosing the perfect replacements when the time comes for that. You will never have to work with a high-pressure salesman. We offer only solid, dependable advice that will help you every step of the way.

While the fire alarm inspection might disrupt the flow of business just a bit, it shouldn’t be anything you need to worry about too much. By preparing for this occasion throughout the year, it will be much less of a hassle but still retain all of the important benefits to help protect your place of business.

Contact Safe Inc. for more information or to schedule fire alarm inspections for your property as soon as possible  We are your business security solution in central and northeast Florida including Jacksonville, Ocala, St. Augustine, and Daytona.

Whether you work in a retail, warehouse, industrial or office environment, a video surveillance system is an amazing way to keep your business secure and protect all your assets. Commercial security systems can not only help you prove when something does occur, but it can also help disprove events as well. Finally, the presence of IP surveillance cameras can also be a deterrent to criminals too. All of these reasons come together to make surveillance-based security systems a must for businesses of all types.

However, it is important to realize that video surveillance is not a one-size-fits-all type of service. It is important to create a video surveillance plan that is optimized for your particular organization’s needs. Here are a few tips to help you with security camera installation and use.

Consider Your Purpose – Are you hoping to deter criminals or catch them in the act? This can help you decide whether you want to keep the cameras in plain sight or if you think a more discreet approach will work best. Some businesses find a combination of the two types of camera work best.

Place Cameras to Get Best View – Just hanging cameras anywhere may not lead you to get the best quality of video. Look at where you are likely to get the best video and make sure you do not leave too many blind spots.

Monitor High-Traffic Areas – Your high traffic spots are the most important in which to secure. Think about the spaces that have a large amount of foot traffic on a day-to-day basis. These will be most attractive to those who may mean your business harm—since it will be easy for them to blend in with the crowd.

Cover Indoor and Outdoor Spaces – Don’t forget parking lots and other outdoor areas too. You may be able to protect your business if you have a solid plan for outdoor surveillance as well as indoor. You may even be able to monitor what type of vehicle a criminal is driving—which is a key to tracking them down.

Think About Angles – Once your cameras are hung, test out the view. Consider adjusting slightly if the video is not quite right. Sometimes a slight change in angle can make a big difference. You want the clearest possible view of your workplace.

As you can see, there is a lot to think about when planning your video surveillance. Safe Inc. will work with you to help you choose the best security system for your business needs. We work with companies throughout central and northeast Florida including Jacksonville, Ocala, St. Augustine, and Daytona. Give us a call or contact us today to learn more about how we can help you protect your assets.

Access control system, also known as “door control” and security systems may seem like they would be practically the same thing—based on the name at least. However, they are quite different. An access control system is actually a way of authorizing access to an area, such as an electronic key or PIN pad, while a security system can provide access control as well as other features such as an alarm system or surveillance.

What are the Benefits of Access Control?

The primary advantage of an access control system is that you can quickly “lock” or make certain areas private. By controlling access, you can create privacy and prevent theft or other damage to your merchandise—if you so desire. Access control is simple, and it is usually easy to provide access to only certain people. Later, if you want to change access levels, you may need to re-key or change the code to do so.

What are the Benefits of a Security System?

Security systems, and, in particular, commercial security systems are beneficial if you want to do more than just control access. With a full-scale security system, you can monitor the goings and comings and see what is happening in your workplace. A security system will help you feel safer and may also help prevent criminal activity by deterring it—especially when it is obvious you are well-protected by a high-end system.

While your security system may include access control, or you may couple a security system with access control, the primary aspect of the security system will be the alarm and surveillance features. An alarm can be set to notify you or inform the authorities if there is a break-in, fire or other disturbance. Surveillance cameras can be configured throughout your commercial space so that you can review what has happened when you were not around—or when a particular part of your business was out of view.

Once you learn more about the products, you will find that the capabilities of access control and security systems are quite different, but they work well together to create a solution that can keep nearly any commercial space safer—protecting you, your employees, and your product.

If you would like to learn more about the different options available for both access control and security system devices today—including the highly popular IP security cameras, contact us at SAFE Inc. We are your business security solution in central and northeast Florida including Jacksonville, Ocala, St. Augustine, and Daytona.