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March 28, 2017 by Total Fire and Safety
If you have a business that has any sort of valuable electronic equipment, like computers, servers, etc., you need to know about clean agent suppression systems. They are a liquid-free, fire suppression option, unlike sprinklers, that will not harm your electronic devices in the case of a fire and need for fire suppression. Just imagine the damage a sprinkler system would do to your equipment! Clean agents are an excellent alternative for many reasons:
Your computers and data rooms are a fire hazard to begin with. Computers and data rooms need very good ventilation because they can get very hot. The NFPA has specific regulations for computer rooms and electronic equipment areas, because there is a greater risk of fire from electronics.
Your business has a lot to lose from fire damage to electronics. Not only could you lose your equipment, but you could lose crucial data and online business. You could lose millions, literally, in the blink of an eye if a fire rips through the room that stores your equipment.
You won’t have to get soaked with a clean agent. When the system is activated, Halon 1301, a gaseous fire extinguishant, is released into the room. Halon fills the room and extinguishes the fire, but does not leave any residue on surfaces in the room. No mess to clean up afterward… the gas will evaporate and the room will be unharmed.
Because clean agents work by removing oxygen from the room, this kind of suppression system does post some danger to humans. Clean agents are great for rooms that are filled with servers and computers, but not people. There is a risk of suffocation if people are trapped in the room in an emergency situation.
The pros of a clean agent system are many to those areas of your business that require an alternative to sprinklers. At Total Fire & Safety, we are experts in the installation and maintenance of clean agent suppression systems for businesses. If you are considering an installation, contact us at 630-960-5060.
Category: Fire Extinguishers, Suppression system, Total Experience, Total Fire and Safety Tags: clean agent, clean agent suppression, clean agent supression system, Clean Agent System, Clean Agents, commercial fire suppression, fire suppression, fire suppression system, Suppression System | Comments Off on The Best Way to Protect Your Computers: Clean Agent Suppression Systems
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February 28, 2017 by Total Fire and Safety
 If you are a business subject to OSHA regulations, now is the time of year that businesses are required to post a yearly report of workplace-related injuries and illnesses. The summary must be posted in a common area where all employees can see it. Doing this keeps your employees aware of dangers in the workplace. As an employer, make sure you know how to keep records and to post the yearly summaries. Safety is important, and so is following regulations! All the forms can be found here, but a summary of what you need to know is below.
The 300A form is known as the Injury and Illness Recordkeeping Forms. Form 300A summarizes job-related injuries and illnesses, which should be logged on the OSHA 300 Log. After a year of logging illnesses and injuries, employers should post the form 300A summary for all employees to see.
Who needs to fill it out? Most employers who have ten or more employees will have to fill out the form. If your establishment has a chance of any sort of workplace injury or illness, you likely need to fill out the form. OSHA has also updated its list of newly included establishments that will need to keep records. To check to see if your industry is on the list, click here.
Who is exempt from the requirement? If you have fewer than ten employees, you do not have to fulfill this OSHA requirement. Certain workplaces that are deemed low-hazard are also exempt, like shoe stores, book stores, florists, and publishers. You can find a full list of low-hazard workplaces here.
When is the deadline for reporting? Notices must be posted each year between February 1 and April 30, so now is the time!
OSHA Form 300A
At Total Fire and Safety, we are dedicated to helping your business meet all safety requirements and helping you prevent workplace related injuries and illnesses. In addition to commercial fire safety, we offer onsite first aid kits and employee safety training. If you have questions or concerns about OSHA requirements or any other question related to workplace safety, feel free to contact Total Fire & Safety at 630-960-5060.
Category: Business Safety, Fire Safety, Uncategorized Tags: april business form, business safety, fire safety, osha, osha 300, osha 300a, osha form, osha form 300a, osha workplace, workplace safety | Comments Off on What You Need to Know About the OSHA 300A Form
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February 14, 2017 by Total Fire and Safety
If you visit the TFS headquarters in Woodridge, Illinois, make sure you take a look at our newly remodeled training room. Training is essential to what we do at Total Fire & Safety, not only for new employees but to help existing ones stay up-to-date on the latest hazards, fire codes and prevention techniques.
Our existing employees know the training room well. This is a picture of our fire extinguisher division meeting. Every month, each division of Total Fire & Safety, fire extinguisher, sprinkler, fire alarm and backflow, meet for monthly training and information exchange sessions. By gathering together, our team in each division can share information about their experiences in the field and discuss what is working or needs to be improved. Each division has their own concern with fire safety, so holding these division exclusive meetings is very helpful.
Who benefits most from these meetings? The TFS customer!
These meetings are one of many ways TFS is always trying to become more efficient and stay abreast of the latest in fire prevention and NFPA codes for their customers. The meetings help Total Fire & Safety deliver their very best in expertise, installation, maintenance and customer service to all our wonderful customers.
Thank you to all of our customers for making 2016 a great year for us. We promise to do everything we can as your commercial fire protection company to make 2017 a safe one for your commercial fire safety. If you have any questions about fire safety for your business or want to update your fire equipment going into the new year, don’t hesitate to contact us at 630-960-5060.
Category: Fire Safety, Total Fire and Safety Tags: fire professional training, fire safety training, fire training, Total Fire and Safety, total fire training | Comments Off on A New Year in TFS’s Commercial Fire Protection Training Room
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December 14, 2016 by Total Fire and Safety
 On December 2 in Oakland California, a deadly fire took 36 lives in a warehouse facility turned artist residence known as the Ghost Ship Artist Collective. It took four days for local firefighters to recover the scene. An absolute contributing factor? The lack of a sprinkler and fire alarm systems, blocked and inadequate fire exits and a lack of working fire extinguishers.
In fact, the few extinguishers found among the bodies were inoperable. Officials say it is the highest number of fatalities in a structure fire in the U.S. in the last 13 years.
The tragedy shed negative light on the building owner, who refused to comply with fire codes and the state of the Oakland housing market, where people endured living in dangerous conditions since there was no other affordable alternative in the area. The city is also under scrutiny since the building had not been inspected for 30 years, and rightly should have been closed down.
But for those of us in fire safety, like Total Fire, the tragedy is a demonstration of the importance of our work, and how what we do saves lives.
The Looming Disaster
The Ghost Ship had been home to numerous fire hazards for some time and was no stranger to the authorities. The facility had been reported for tall weeds, mounds of garbage on the grounds, and illegal conduct of the community within, even though the space was not meant for residential use. The cause of the fire is still under investigation but at first, an old refrigerator was thought to be the cause.
The interior of the building was a chaotic mixture of improper electrical wiring and makeshift staircases, stacks of wood, furniture and other junk scattered around and wooden structures in progress. The fire started on the first floor, and people trying to evacuate had to weave through the inside clutter and climb a rickety, tight staircase to get out. People on the second floor were trapped by smoke and flames.
Many of the bodies were found as they were in their last moments–holding and hugging each other in fear.
At Total Fire & Safety, we truly believe we do something more than just come to work, collect a pay check and go home. We play an important role in keeping our community safe!
Steven Holowka, our fire alarm division manager, puts it this way: “I tell my team to take the mindset that every building we take care of has someone you love in there. Would you want your loved ones being in a building that wasn’t properly taken care of? Would you feel okay if you one of your loved ones died in a building that wasn’t properly maintained?”
In the case of the Oakland tragedy, an inspection attempt was made as recently as last month when a code enforcement officer responded to complaints about piles of garbage. No one came to the door and the Oakland inspectors are not allowed to gain access to a building without permission.
The blaze started during a rave dance party, and the facility was not equipped or zoned for such a gathering. NFPA reminds us that in the case of nightclubs, theaters and auditoriums where large numbers of people gather, fires are the most deadly when the proper features and systems are not in place.
For theaters, night clubs, venues, etc. NFPA codes call for a considerable number of safety systems and features to be present for these structures, not just a single safety system or feature.
Saving Lives, a System at a Time
When building owners take shortcuts in service, look for the cheapest option or have the mindset that a fire like this could never happen to them, the consequences can be dire. That’s why we make sure we are doing our part in taking care of our customers and ensure that the systems they have onsite are adequate for their needs.
Our entire team, including our administrative employees, field technicians, managers and even our owner believes that it is our responsibility to do our job 100% because in the end we are protecting what matters most–people’s lives.
When we arrive at a facility we..
- TEST and INSPECT to make sure everything is in working order
- PROVIDE REPAIR/INSTALL SERVICE so everything is done correctly and ready to activate in an emergency
- and VERIFY that everything is up to code for the customer.
The fire at the Ghost Ship will rank among the Rhode Island Nightclub fire of 2003 and the Queen of Angels fire from 1958 as tragedies that could have been prevented or lessened considerably had the right life safety systems been in place.
As fire safety systems continue to improve, Jim Pauley of the NFPA warns that “we can’t be complacent just because numbers have gotten better.” It’s important that everyone responsible for the safety of those inside a facility have it properly inspected with well maintained and fully operational fire safety systems in place. Do you?
If you are unsure of whether your building is up to code, please don’t hesitate to contact us at Total Fire & Safety. We take our jobs seriously because we know what we do saves lives!
Category: Fire Alarm Monitoring, Fire code violation, Fire exits, Fire Extinguishers, Fire Extinguishers, Fire News, Fire Safety, Sprinkler Systems, Total Fire and Safety, Uncategorized Tags: fire and safety equipment, Fire Extinguisher, fire news, fire safety in the news, firesprinklerinspections, Ghost ship fire, importance of fire safety | Comments Off on The Ghost Ship Fire: 36 Lives Lost From Lack of Fire Safety Systems
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November 20, 2016 by Total Fire and Safety
The Total Fire & Safety team was on the scene recently at the 2016 Chicagoland Cooperator’s Condo, HOA, Co-Op and Apt. Expo at Navy Pier in Chicago.
Once again, thousands of board and association members, property managers, homeowners and apartment building owners met for this growing, annual event. They attended educational seminars and browsed the exhibits, where they had a chance to visit with the knowledgeable staff at TFS.
As an expert in commercial fire safety for property owners and apartment buildings, we always enjoy attending the show, familiarizing others with our services but most of all, addressing the attendees’ concerns about their current fire safety solutions. Mainly, we were able to answer the most frequently asked questions on the minds of the property owners such as:
- What fire equipment is required for my property? (At Total Fire & Safety, we can make sure you are compliant with NFPA requirements which vary depending on your structure and occupancy. )
- How can I reduce the cost of my fire safety needs? (Total Fire & Safety can update your old equipment or make sure your current equipment is operable. Often times, updating to a new system, like wireless fire alarm monitoring or low voltage emergency lighting, can help reduce maintenance costs in the long run while improving service.)
- Do I have enough fire alarms? (Talk to us about your needs and we’ll make sure you get the fire alarms you need.)
- What kind of fire safety training is needed for my employees or tenants? (Total Fire & Safety knows what kind of employee fire safety and first aid training is mandatory, or best suited for your building.)
- Do I really need a first aid kit in my building? (Of course! A properly placed first aid kit can supply much needed medical attention when it’s needed most!)
- Why should we pick Total Fire & Safety? (Because for more than twenty years, Total Fire & Safety has led Chicagoland as one of the most reliable, knowledgeable and trustworthy fire and safety companies in Chicagoland!)
 Mark Spinder (outside sales) and Robin Jones (inside business development) at the Cooperator Show.
We look forward to next year’s show and another chance to meet new customers and introduce them to the company that has all the answers for their fire safety needs—Total Fire & Safety! Hope to see you at the Cooperator Expo 2017! In the meantime, if we can ever help you with your fire safety needs, don’t hesitate to contact us at 630.960.5060.
Category: Fire News, Total Fire and Safety Tags: chicagoland's cooperator's condo, expo, fire service expo, HOA, navy pier, Total Fire and Safety | Comments Off on TFS Cooperates at Navy Pier!
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November 16, 2016 by Total Fire and Safety
Your fire risk is very diffe rent on Thanksgiving Day than it is on any other day of the year. Residential fires are a lot more common, because everyone is cooking! Here are some fire safety facts about Thanksgiving Day that you should be aware of, and some safety tips to remember so you don’t become a part of these statistics.
- From 2011 to 2013, there was an estimated 2,100 cases of residential fires per year and approximately 10 deaths, 50 injuries, and $28 million in property loss, according to the National Fire Protection Association.
Be thankful for the chance to be mindful of fire safety at Thanksgiving!
- Most residential fires happen in single family homes, 65 percent, or multifamily homes, 28 percent. A fire could happen in your own neighborhood, or even your own home.
Be thankful for all the working fire extinguishers and smoke detectors in kitchens across the country!
- The peak time for frequency of fires was from noon to 3 p.m., the time when many people are working on preparations for the big meal. This differs from normal days, when residential building fires are most likely to occur during the dinner hours of 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Be thankful for properly attended stoves as we prepare the Thanksgiving meal!
- Of all Thanksgiving Day fires surveyed, 73.5 percent were limited to the object of origin; 11.6 percent limited to the room of origin; and 10 percent limited to the building of origin.
Be thankful for knowing how to operate a fire extinguisher to stop a fire before it causes too much damage!
- The majority of fires on Thanksgiving Day are caused by cooking, at 72 percent. Practice safe cooking by checking temperatures frequently, being extra careful with open flames and ovens, and not overcrowding the kitchen.
Be thankful for cautious holiday cooks who observe fire safety measures!
There is one last reminder that turkey lovers should keep in mind this year. Deep frying turkeys is a tradition for some Americans, but it is also a dangerous fire hazard. Watch this video to see a fiery demonstration of what can go wrong if you deep fry a turkey unsafely.
Be thankful for deep frying with caution and care!
Total Fire & Safety wishes you a happy holiday! If you are interested in a kitchen suppression system, safety inspection, or fire extinguisher training in preparation for Turkey Day, contact us at 630-960-5060.
Category: Fire Safety, Total Fire and Safety, Trends Tags: fire safety, holiday fire safety, thanksgiving fire safetu, thanksgiving fire safety, thanksgiving fire statistics, thanksgiving safety | Comments Off on Thankful Fire Safety Facts for 2016
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October 24, 2016 by Total Fire and Safety
 National Fire Prevention Week has been a yearly campaign since 1922, occurring on the Sunday through Saturday period that includes the date October 9. It was established to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire on October 8-9, 1871. This infamous tragedy claimed 250 lives, destroyed more than 17,400 structures and left 100,000 people homeless. Fire prevention week is a day to remember this event and also what kind of effect a fire could potentially have on our lives.
No matter what kind of business you own or manage, October is also the perfect time to remember how devastating fire can be, and how important it is to be ready for an emergency. A fire can cause serious damage to your company’s facility and equipment, not to mention employees! This is as good a month as any to make sure you have these five ‘checks’ taken care of within the boundaries of your office and/or facilities.
1. Are your fire hazard risks assessed properly? Some businesses have greater fire risks than others, but there are very few businesses that have none. They all need to be properly assessed so the proper prevention can be implemented accordingly. Some local governments offer fire marshal visits, or workplace fire risk assessment guidance from your building’s property manager. A commercial fire safety firm can also help you mitigate problems.
2. Do you have emergency plans in place? Do you have an evacuation plan and do your employees know what to do in case of a fire? Do they fire training, so that they know how to use fire extinguishers, and when to use them?
3. Do you have the right fire protection equipment installed? Your fire safety equipment needs likely include sprinkler systems, but you might need more to be up to code or compliant with regulations. Industries dealing with machinery that overheats or flammable substances might need a suppression system tailored to your business.
4. Do you have scheduled routine equipment inspections? Even if you have the right sprinkler systems, fire extinguishers, and suppression systems, they also need routine inspections (at least annually) to keep everything in working order. Know what tests you can do yourself, and which require professional visits from fire alarm technicians.
Even though Fire Prevention Week is over, it’s not too late to think about your fire prevention and safety. Perhaps now is the time to take action. Contact us or call 1.630.960.5060 for more information on any of the fire steps detailed above, from alarm installation to employee training programs.
Category: Fire Alarm Monitoring, Fire Extinguishers, Fire News, Fire Safety, Sprinkler Systems, Total Fire and Safety Tags: commercial fire prevention, fire extinguisher regulations, fire prevention, fire prevention for businesses, fire prevention week, fire week, national fire prevention week | Comments Off on How Is Your Company’s Fire Prevention? Four Questions for Business Owners!
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October 12, 2016 by Total Fire and Safety
Recently, a viral youtube video was released by the Daily Military Defense & Archive. It shows an activated fire suppression system that can fill an aircraft hangar with foam in two minutes, covering at least 90 percent of the aircrafts with a simple, water-based foam. For the average Joe, it’s a visual spectacle to see that amount of space quickly fill with thick white foam and then get to witness the cleanup process (involving huge big squeegees) afterwards. Luckily, these systems usually trigger by accident or for a test run, and there aren’t a lot of cases where the system is triggered because danger is imminent. The government is successfully using this fire protection system to protect aircraft inside military hangars around the world.
This video is a great example of how suppression systems work quickly and effectively. They can be deployed with amazing speed, and for a government building of this size and caliber, this system could save countless employee lives and millions in property damage.
The suppression systems offered and maintained by Total Fire & Safety are not quite as messy as the ones in the video, but they are similar in many ways. The kitchen suppression systems we install for you are designed for specific type of fires that often occur around cooking equipment, whereas the suppression systems in an aircraft hangar are designed to fight fires caused by equipment failure or aircraft fuel. Rest assured that the suppression system in your commercial kitchen won’t fill the room with foam, but it will still get the job done in an emergency!
Do you have a suppression system in place at your business? Total Fire and Safety has suppression systems that can protect your people and your assets. For more information about suppression systems, contact Total Fire & Safety at 630-960-5060.
Category: Fire News, Fire Safety, Suppression system, Trends Tags: epic fail, Fire Extinguisher, fire news, fire safety news, fire suppression system, fire system, foam, foam suppression system, hangar foam, military fire suppression, Suppression System | Comments Off on Have You Got the Power? Of a Suppression System?
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September 20, 2016 by Total Fire and Safety
Since they don’t wear a cape or colorful tights, to the untrained eye the fire alarm technician is just the guy who comes in to check the safety of your fire equipment. But in reality, the fire alarm technicians at Total Fire & Safety are specialized employees who actually end up saving lives by making sure your equipment functions properly in an emergency situation at your commercial building!
Yet these humble heroes walking among us in a simple Total Fire & Safety uniforms often go unappreciated because people don’t understand the special powers they possess and bring into play on a daily basis. For example, all Total Fire & Safety fire alarm technicians…
1. Battle the forces of evil at a moment’s notice! When the call comes, the fire alarm technicians jump in their “Total Firemobile” and rush bravely in to battle the villain, whether it’s a malfunctioning backflow problem or a damaged sprinkler system. They soundly thwart the forces of equipment failure by repairing and replacing the critical systems, always emerging victorious. While Chicagoland sleeps, the Total Fire & Safety technician is on the job, throughout greater Chicagoland, lndiana and lower Wisconsin. 
2. Excel at searching out the right clues to every puzzle. The crafty fire alarm technician can decode the secret language and uncover the valuable clues in blueprints, diagrams, specifications, schematics and operational/product manuals to find the information that saves the day and restores equipment to its proper functionality. It’s all in a day’s work for the fire alarm technician!
3. Protect their customers and save the day. The Total Fire & Safety fire alarm technician deals directly with our customers, listening to their needs and providing the best, safest solutions for their situation. With professionalism and skill, they communicate with headquarters to make sure all is well for their customer, humbly accepting a mere humble thanks for their efforts.
4. Go wherever the wind takes them…even overnight. The life of a fire alarm technician is filled with adventure on the road, going where they are called and serving willingly. Total Fire & Safety fire alarm technicians are flexible enough to travel overnight in order to perform inspections and repairs for clients that are not so close by. That’s what all heroes do!
Bravery, trustworthiness and competence are all marks of the highly trained fire alarm technicans at Total Fire & Safety. Do you have what it takes? We are always looking for skilled individuals to join our force of heroes. Those who qualify can apply at apply at Total Fire & Safety for a distinguished career as well as competitive compensation and benefits such as health and dental and a position in a growing company with room for advancement. Contact Total Fire & Safety today about opportunities and learn how being an everyday hero with us can lead to exciting opportunities to do good in the world!
Category: Fire Alarm Monitoring, Fire Extinguishers, Fire Safety, Sprinkler Systems, Suppression system, Total Fire and Safety Tags: fire alarm, fire alarm for business, fire alarm tech jobs, fire alarm technician, fire alarm technician jobs, fire safety, fire safety careers, fire safety jobs, technician jobs, Total Fire & Safety, total fire & safety jobs, Total Fire and Safety, total fire and safety jobs | Comments Off on The Fire Alarm Technician: Not All Superheroes Wear Capes!
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August 17, 2016 by Total Fire and Safety
If you are an employer with ten or more employees, you are probably aware that OSHA requires you to conduct fire safety training and first aid training for your employees. But what is the value of this safety training? Does it really make a difference, or is it just a technicality?
The fact is, different ki nds of occupational injuries and accidents, including fire safety ones, cost companies thousands and even millions of dollars a year. These include the direct costs of property damage and employee injury as well as the indirect costs of production down time and the intangible profitability loss from the lingering emotional effect on the morale of the employees. If you’ve ever wondered what that dollar amount would be for an injury at your jobsite, OSHA developed a calculator tool that you can use to see the cost of an injury at your business. As an employer, you are liable for the injuries or accidents that happen in your workplace, so making sure your employees are properly trained can save you money.
The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) has gathered extensive data on the effectiveness of quality safety training programs, and the results are promising. Some of their findings include:
- OSHA estimates that companies that implement effective safety programs can expect reductions of 20% or greater in injury and illness rates, as well as a return of $4 to $6 for every $1 invested in the programs.
- Workplace injuries will cost society $128 billion in losses this year, which equals one-quarter of each dollar of pre-tax corporate profits
- Indirect costs of injuries may be 20 times the direct costs — Indirect costs include: training and compensating replacement workers; repairing damaged property; accident investigation and implementation of corrective action; scheduling delays and lost productivity; administrative expense; low employee morale and increased absenteeism; poor customer and community relations
- Conducting effective safety training has been proven to lower your Workplace Modification Factor, which insurance companies use to assess businesses and determine their rates.
All in all, studies have proven that safety training programs can save your business money and grief. More ASSE reports on the returns on safety training investment can be found here.
The best safety training programs will be tailored to the type of injuries or accidents your employees are most likely to encounter. This is especially true in the realm of fire safety training, where different companies will need to know different things about the fires they are most likely at risk for in their working environment. As a result, all fire safety and first aid training programs are not alike. Choose the best fire safety training program or first aid training program for your company.
For more information on the specific needs of your business and how to achieve OSHA standards at a practical price, contact your local OSHA consultation office. Offering the right fire safety training and first aid training courses that prevent injuries will empower your employees to handle emergency situations well and prevent potentially fatal injuries. Don’t fail them! Look into Total Fire & Safety training today! For more information, contact Total Fire & Safety at 630-960-5060.
Category: Fire Extinguishers, Fire Safety Tags: Fire Extinguisher, fire extinguisher programs, fire extinguisher safety training programs, fire extinguisher training, fire safety training, first aid training, good fire training programs, OSHA fire training, safety training programs | Comments Off on How Fire Safety Training Pays
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