Fire Protection Systems

It depends on the building's occupancy type, size, construction, and local code — most commercial buildings need a fire alarm system, and many also require automatic sprinklers, portable extinguishers, and emergency lighting. Occupancies such as restaurants, healthcare facilities, and warehouses carry additional requirements, from kitchen hood suppression to fire pumps that maintain water pressure in taller structures. The authority having jurisdiction makes the final determination, which is why system design starts with a survey of the building rather than a catalog.

Yes. Systems are designed and installed to the applicable NFPA standards — NFPA 72 for fire alarm and signaling, NFPA 13 for sprinkler systems, NFPA 20 for fire pumps, and NFPA 10 for portable extinguishers — along with state and local amendments. We coordinate with the local fire marshal or building department during plan review so the installed system passes acceptance testing.

We do both, from initial design through installation and commissioning. That covers surveying the property, producing the drawings and hydraulic calculations submitted for permit, installing the equipment, and testing the finished system with the AHJ present. Working with one company across design and installation avoids the gap where a design is drawn by one party and interpreted by another.

Yes — retrofits are a large part of the work, whether the driver is a failed inspection, a change of occupancy, a renovation, or an obsolete panel that no longer has parts available. Retrofit design has to work around the building as it exists, so the survey step matters more than it does in new construction. Existing devices and wiring are reused where they still meet code and are in serviceable condition.