Earthquake Information - Here we go again....
Fire Fighting Pacific Crisis Management Team in Place
The February 22 Earthquake has caused far more damage to buildings than the September 4 or Boxing Day quakes, due to the violent nature of the movement. With much of the city without power or water, this is causing many problems for fire systems and these will need attention. We are attempting to get to systems and isolate those without power in order to prevent unnecessary fire signals to the Fire Service. We have set up a list of FAQs for building owners, but have our office number fully manned, and we are able to answer your queries.
My fire alarm is beeping / has activated - what can I do to shut it off?
If you have a fire alarm system which has activated and you have no fire, you can shut the alarms off by using your Trial Evacuation key - a small stubby key with the word "BULGIN" printed on it - and insert this in the "Silence alarms" keyslot then turn clockwise. This will shut the alarms down. Please call our office and we will get a technician to you if you need assistance. If you have no power, the battery on the fire alarm is likely to have failed, and will be signalling a fault.
I have no water - does that mean my sprinklers will not work ?
Correct. Fire Sprinklers need water from the towns main, unless they have a separate water tank for the Fire Sprinkler and Fire Pump. If you have no water, we would encourage you to check your system and look at the "installation" gauge. If the system is in the area around the green "installation" marker, then the system is fine, but if the pressure has dropped close to or past the Defect line, call our office. Call us as soon as water is restored and we will ensure that the system is not leaking, as we have underground pipes whicih are leaking, and valvesets and sprinklers which are not holding water due to damage. It is important we get to check these to minimise water damage.
What about the dust - will that affect my system?
Dust will affect smoke detectors, by contaminating them and making them more sensitive, or setting them off. Keep windows closed if you can to avoid the silt dust being blown around, and call us to clean them out as a part of the earthquake repairs for your building. Please make sure that building contractors do not create dust without contacting us to isolate the fire alarms first.
How do I know if my building is safe?
Structurally, you will need an engineer to look at this, we can not provide this service. Fire safety we can look through, once you have had your building cleared by an engineer. We are not sending any staff into Red carded, cordoned areas, or uninspected buildings. Calls for buildings in these areas will be logged, and attended to as the cordon shrinks. We can get to look through your building to ensure that there are no fire safety issues if you call us and log an inspection required. Please also check your fire exit doors in the first instance to ensure they are not jammed shut, and do not lead out into fenced or dangerous areas. Be aware of danger from neigbouring buildings.
I have a builder doing work - how to I get the alarms turned off?
Always arrange isolation of systems before work starts, otherwise damage will occur. Print or email the Contractor Advice Form (sprinkler) or Contractor Advice Form (alarm) to your builder to ensure they understand how to avoid damaging the system, or accidentally causing the system to activate. Do not attempt to move fire cables, and do not disconnect detectors or speakers which are hanging from the ceiling. Some may have AC voltage on them, and should only be handled once made safe. Fire Sprinklers will be live, and should be treated with care.
What about Fire and Smoke Stop Doors and Fire Walls ?
Fire and smoke stop doors are there to prevent a fire from spreading through a building, and preventing you from being able to get out safely. These are required to be kept shut, but if they are jamming or difficult to open, this can prevent ecape. Click here for a link to the NZFS sheet on Fire Doors, but make sure that these are seen to as soon as possible by a qualified builder. Fire Walls may have moved or cracked and need repairs. These will need propoer fire stopping, and correct paint finish must be used in certain areas which prevent fire spread. Again, Click Here for a link to the NZFS sheet on fire separations, but these are specialist repairs, and you should ensure that builders or contractors know what they are looking at.
Services through Fire Walls should be re-sealed with intumescant retardant, and those seals which have been broken should be looked at again. If in doubt call us and we can assess this for you.
Emergency Lights- are they still OK?
With the power out for long periods, no doubt your emergency lighting system has probably had a full work-out. These systems have a series of battery-operated lights which come on in a power failure. Most systems have a low-charge cut-out preventing the batteries from being drained right down to zero volts, as many batteries will not recover from complete discharge. Some older systems do not have this, and you may need to check your lights to see that they will last more than a few minutes under load. If you are not sure how to do this, call our office and we can help you through. There are alternatve systems which are not battery-operated such as Ecoglo - these recharge as light gets to them, and are excellent for areas with natural lighting.
How should I be ready for an emergency in a high-rise apartment?
The Fire Service have produced a useful pamphlet on apartment safety which helps you to keep organised and be ready to evacuate (and not lock yourself out!) . Apartment owners may want to be prepared, and you can get a sheet on Apartment Safety by Clicking Here.
About Us
Fire Fighting Pacific is a 100% Canterbury-owned and operated Fire Protection Contractor with a Telarc Accredited ISO 9001 Quality System. The Company is I.Q.P. Registered, Certified by the Fire Protection Association of New Zealand , and approved by the Insurance Council of New Zealand.
With innovative design capabilities and leading edge technology, Fire Fighting Pacific provides design, supply, installation and maintenance of all types of Fire Protection Systems available in New Zealand.
Privately owned, and truly independent this company has become the benchmark for quality in installation, service and Building Warrant of Fitness management. A large team of well-qualified, motivated individuals allows honest and reliable advice in all manner of fire protection and building compliance issues.
Teamed with other independent, New Zealand-owned contractors throughout the country, Fire Fighting Pacific is proud to be part of the Firetronix Group, a co-operative group able to offer full Fire Protection Services throughout New Zealand, a breath of fresh air from the domination exerted by multi-national corporations, previously the only real option in Nationwide Fire Protection. |
