Do you manage a commercial building?
If your answer’s yes, then your main concern is no doubt the safety of the people in your building. Not only could a fire accident lead to crippling lawsuits, it could potentially lead to devastating injuries or loss of life.
A chief decision in ensuring your preparedness in the event of a fire will be selecting the right fire sprinkler system for your property. Of course, knowing how to pick an adequate system for your property specifics can be immensely difficult. Most likely, you’ll want to hire a fire sprinkler contractor to help you do it the right way, the first time. But how do you know which sprinkler contractor will be the best to consult?
3 Things a Fire Sprinkler Contractor Should Have
This article will give you some key tips about finding the best one. Read on to learn more.
1. Quick Responsiveness
As a building owner, you know that in some cases, tenants may not even tell you about an issue until it starts to really interrupt their workflow. But, of course, you’ll be expected to resolve it in a timely manner.
To make sure you can do this, you need a fire sprinkler contractor that has the capacity to get to your property quickly. This is someone with both the fleet size and area of service extensive enough to respond effectively no matter where you’re located and the exceptional customer service to facilitate a technician’s arrival promptly. Test the water with a phone call to the contractor you’re interested in hiring and ask them some of these questions directly.
Speed of response is crucial. If you have a problem, it needs to be solved at the first available opportunity. Not only will tenants be pleased by a speedy repair, but sprinkler system issues can pose hazards if they go undiagnosed or untreated. It’s just like a health concern – the longer your property’s symptoms go unaddressed, the worse its condition will get.
2. Proper Licensing
Proper licensing is everything.
A contractor should have technicians who can produce proof they’ve completed the relevant training and gained the proper knowledge for their areas of the job. These official certifications range from inspecting a building to repairing faulty sprinkler systems.
If you hire a contractor without officially licensed technicians, you may very well have to hire a second contractor to complete and/or repair the job the first failed to do correctly. Be absolutely certain the contractor you’re hiring has the right qualifications to perform the work you need done. Don’t be afraid to ask for this proof because legitimate contractors shouldn’t hesitate to show you theirs.
It’s also a good idea to verify a contractor has more than one license. Just consider this: you’ve hired a fire sprinkler contractor that is adequately licensed to inspect a sprinkler system, but not to repair one. This only affords you half the job and when the time comes to repair your system, you’ll be stuck looking for a secondary contractor. This can cost you more time and money than what you’d previously accounted for.
Someone who is licensed to perform both kinds of service should typically be your preference.
3. Knowledge of the Sprinkler Code
Along with proper licensing, your contractor should know the ins and outs of the sprinkler code. A certification could show this, but you should ask the company about its credentials if you’re not seeing confirmation.
The National Fire Protection Association’s standardized code can truly be confusing. Without industry training, it simply isn’t realistic for you to know this much information. That’s what expert fire safety technicians exist for. A reliable contractor should be able to know, interpret, and navigate the code of industry standards for you.
Failing to fulfill the requirements of just one part of the sprinkler code may result in a fine for you and, of course, in an even worse circumstance, it could lead to severe danger if a fire breaks out. You don’t just want a contractor who’s fluent in the code, you need one.
Want to Know More about Topics Like Hiring a Fire Sprinkler Contractor?
Now that you know the 3 things you need to consider about choosing a fire sprinkler contractor, you’ll be more prepared to make your choice. Be sure to take time in making this decision; it could determine your own safety and the safety of those who enter your commercial building.
Did you like this article? Check out more fire-related topics on our site’s blog. And if you have any questions about our expertise, feel free to contact us for help.