Two Recent Emergency Response Situations

What happens when there’s an emergency? While all situations are different, one thing is for sure: There’s not a lot of time to respond.

How does Brothers Fire & Security respond? When we say we’re there for you 24-7, we mean it. Over the past year, we’ve responded to 325 emergency calls. Here are just two examples from the last 30 days on how we responded to emergency situations.

Scenario #1 – Gas Station Fire

A car fire at a gas pump at a station in a northern suburb was called in to 911. Obviously, a car fire at a gas pump can be catastrophic, so quick thinking and quick response was crucial.

Staff from the convenience store, who we trained on fire extinguisher use in the spring, ran out with extinguishers while waiting for emergency assistance. The fire department responded quickly. The fire was extinguished, and location secured without injury or substantial property damage.

Brothers Fire & Security was notified through our 24-7 answering service. I responded immediately and brought replacement fire extinguishers to the location.

Other extinguishers were recharged and delivered the next day.

Bottom line: The gas station’s employees were certified in fire extinguisher use. They knew how to respond and did a quick and effective job.

Scenario #2:  Multi-Family Complex Fire

An early morning weekend balcony fire broke out at a 100+ multi-family unit complex in a western suburb. The cause? A main floor resident had been cooking on a hibachi the night before and the coals were not properly put out. The hibachi was close to the outside wall on the balcony and the coals set fire to the siding. A dry sprinkler head in the balcony wall, part of the system installed by Brothers Fire & Security, put out the fire. The situation could have been so much worse!

Again, we responded right away to start the sprinkler head replacement process. Our techs also checked the entire system to make sure it would be ready for future fire prevention.

Lessons Learned

First, let’s start with Fire Prevention 101. All grills, even hibachis, should be placed well away from outside walls, deck railings and out from under eaves and overhanging branches. And make sure the coals are properly put out!

Second, employees who know how to respond quickly can save lives and potential property damage. Everyone on your staff needs to be certified and well-trained to act in any emergency, whether it be a fire, robbery, security breach, or other crisis. Being prepared is everyone’s responsibility. In fact, it builds a safety-conscious company culture.

Yet with issues like staff growth and promotions, building expansions, risk management, and changes in technology and state laws, many of our customers have told us that it’s challenging to keep staff trained and in compliance.

That’s where our online academy, Life Safety Made Simple, comes to the rescue. Courses are designed to be convenient, affordable and based on your needs. They meet OSHA compliance requirements for all staff without travel. The courses can lower training costs and increase successful compliance ratios.

Courses include:

• How to Effectively Use Fire Extinguishers
• How to Build an Effective Safety Plan
• Know Your Life Safety Equipment, and
• How to Inspect Emergency Lights and Systems.

Brothers Fire & Security is committed to provide ongoing training options for our clients and the industry at large. For more about our online academy, visit www.lifesafetymadesimple.com or call 800-607-2767.

About Brothers Fire & Security

As one of the premier providers of fire and security solutions in the Upper Midwest, Brothers Fire & Security strives to build long-term, value-added relationships. We work with business owners and property management companies, as well as all types of public institutions to solve fire and security needs. By taking advantage of our integrated bundled services, many of our clients find that they can save 25-30% on their safety services, annual inspections and more. From a single location to franchises throughout the region and the country, our integrated approach saves our clients valuable time, money, and stress. We provide fire protection systems, security systems, fire sprinkler systems, fire alarm systems, 24-7 monitoring, fire extinguishers, card access and kitchen hoods. We also provide our Online Academy: Life Safety — Made Simple with eLearning courses designed to help you get and keep your staff trained and your business fire and security code compliant.