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Fortis Fire & Safety Expands California Presence with Acquisition of CJ Suppression

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Fortis Fire & Safety (“Fortis”), one of the nation’s newest fire protection service companies, has acquired CJ Suppression Inc. (CJ) headquartered in Corona, CA. This acquisition expands the California presence of Fortis, anchored by the inaugural acquisition of VFS Fire & Security Services (“VFS”) headquartered in Orange County, California.

“Fortis is excited to welcome the CJ Suppression team into the Fortis family,” said Rich Ennis, Chief Executive Officer of Fortis. “CJ is a high-quality fire protection service company with operations in Southern California that will allow us to expand our foothold and significantly grow our business in California.”

“We intend to continue to invest heavily in our brands across the nation, as we build a multi-regional fire protection service company,” said Ennis. “The culture at CJ is one of customer service and innovation, which fits right into the Fortis model.”

J Moyer has seen many successful years of growth under his ownership tenure of CJ. “Partnering with Fortis was a well thought out and deliberate decision based on our shared values and people first philosophy,” said Moyer. “CJ will significantly benefit from the economies of scale that come from being part of a well-capitalized multi-regional company. We are excited to be able to ensure that our customers and our employees continue to receive the very best this industry has to offer,” he added.

“CJ Suppression strengthens the Fortis presence in California, a key element of our strategy of developing multi-regional capability,” said John Solonynko, COO of VFS. “We continue to seek opportunities to expand Fortis’ presence across the country and are excited about the other acquisition and partnership opportunities in the pipeline.”

About Fortis Fire & Safety

Fortis Fire & Safety is one of the nation’s newest fire protection service companies built on the philosophy of People First, Quality Service and Building Lifetime Clients. Fortis will position itself as the next generation of fire protection by building an industry leading company through close partnerships with regional operators and investing heavily in technology.

Sound and Communication in Healthcare Buildings

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Hospitals and other healthcare facilities face a unique set of challenges in an emergency, such as mobility issues with patients, additional obstacles with emergency evacuation, and a large staff to inform of safety protocols.

This is why sound and communication systems in healthcare buildings are essential in protecting property and residents in the event of an emergency.

Sound and communication systems serve to protect property and residents as well as combat these challenges in the event of an emergency.

Let’s discuss a few sound and communication systems, how they work, and how they can be used for the safety of residents in healthcare facilities.

ERRCS and DAS

ERRCS stands for Emergency Responder Radio Communication Systems, also known as Bi-Directional Antenna Systems, or DAS.

ERRCS and DAS are similar; both systems are used within commercial and residential buildings to allow emergency responders to communicate with each other via two-way radio.

Why Are ERRCS and DAS Important?

During the September 11th attacks in New York City, emergency responders struggled to communicate with each other in rescue and recovery efforts. 

These difficulties, such as full radio communication failures, made the first responders inside buildings lose contact with dispatch and fire crews outside. Ultimately, these communication issues risked the lives of the first responders and hindered their rescue efforts.

The communication failures on 9/11 raised awareness of the need for tools that would allow responders to communicate during an emergency. Since 9/11, ERRCS and DAS have become a critical priority for commercial building owners.

How Do ERRCS and DAS Work?

ERRCS and DAS are made of distributed antennas that are installed within a building to amplify particular radio and/or cellular signals ensuring the highest functioning communication for first responders.

These antennas receive external public safety radio signals and retransmit them within the building to ensure penetration in all areas of the building including stairwells, elevators, basements, and other heavily shielded areas.

As an amplification system, ERRCS amplifies the radio signals between first responders’ radios during an emergency. 

Read on to learn more about ERRCS and DAS and how they are crucial in protecting lives and your building.

Area of Refuge

Like an intercom system, an area of refuge two-way communication system ensures that healthcare buildings have a way for individuals to call for help in the instance of an emergency.

These systems are also used in schools, commercial buildings, and other public venues.

How Do Areas of Refuge Work?

Areas of refuge provide a location for building occupants to assemble by an exit and await assistance. These residents may require assistance for a variety of reasons, such as difficulty using stairs or other disabilities.

With these difficulties in mind, these systems were designed to provide hands-free, two-way communication with intelligible audio and visible signals to indicate communication has occurred. These features will allow patients and staff to more easily communicate and receive the assistance they need in the event of an emergency.

Voice Paging and Intercom

Voice paging and intercom systems allow for one-way communication with a larger audience. These systems allow users to announce information to others. This allows the called party to receive information without having to pick up a handset or radio.

How Do Video Paging and Intercom Systems Work?

The paging employee speaks into the telephone and the message is broadcast through a network of speakers to relay. Messages can also be prerecorded and broadcast at different times, depending on the needs of the facility.

Patient Wandering

These systems are essential to preventing patients from getting lost, injured, or exposing themselves to potentially life-threatening situations.

How Do Wander Management Systems Work?

Wander management systems consist of RFID-enabled technology that keeps track of patients within the set parameters of the system to guarantee their protection within the hospital, nursing home, or senior living home. 

Infant Protection Systems

Infants are some of the most vulnerable patients in a hospital. Ensuring infant security is critical not only to the reputation of your hospital but also to nursing staff and new moms.

How Do Infant Protection Systems Work?

These systems can vary depending on the wants and requirements of the hospital. Typically, hospital staff will put some form of location system on the infants, which will monitor their location throughout the building.

With these tracking systems, staff can monitor the location of the infants during an emergency as well as be notified if the infant is taken out of the secured area of the hospital. These systems allow the staff to better protect infants in the healthcare building.

The Bottom Line

These systems allow various teams to communicate with each other to optimize safety protocols and protect staff, patients, and other residents. Further, sound and communication systems can bring peace of mind to building owners as well as the staff and patients in the healthcare facility.

Read on to learn more about our other sound and communication system options.

Learn More About Fortis

At Fortis, we take a long-term view, investing in our people, growth, our own quality of service, and forward-thinking innovation. When you sell to us, you receive the flexibility to choose how long and in what capacity you remain with the company.

Read on to learn more about our world-class acquisitions and to hear what one of our recent partners had to say about the process.

The Five Different Classes of Fire

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In the event of a fire, knowing the five classes can help you to use the most effective fire extinguishing agents and techniques to safely suppress the flames. 

In this article, we’ll cover each fire class, how each type of fire can happen, the varying materials that can serve as fuel, and how you can safely extinguish the flames. (Hint: don’t always use water to put out fires– it can make it worse!) 

Please note these fire classifications follow the U.S. standard system for classifying fires. 

What is a Fire Class?

Fire classes are a system of categorizing fires by factors such as the type of material and fuel for combustion as well as the best methods to extinguish or suppress them. The fire classes are Class A, Class B, Class C, Class D, and Class K. 

Class A Fires: Ordinary Combustibles

Class A fires are the most common of the classes of fires. Class A fires occur when common combustibles–such as wood, paper, trash cloth, and some plastics– serve as fuel for the fire.  Some of these materials may include:

  • Cloth and fabric: clothing, home furnishings, curtains
  • Wood: furniture, building, crafting or construction supplies, logs in fireplaces
  • Paper: books, office supplies, magazines, newspapers, trash 
  • Plastics: plastic containers, toys, disposable bags
  • Rubber: such as the rubber in shoes

How Do Class A Fires Start?

Class A fires are the most common because ordinary combustibles are often found in everyday life. An ordinary combustibles fire can start through scenarios such as a candle falling over or a hot match being tossed into the trash.

How to Extinguish Class A Fires

According to the Fire Equipment Manufacturer’s Association, the best methods to extinguish Class A fires is either with a foam fire extinguisher or with water.   

Class B Fires: Flammable Liquids and Gases

Class B fires involve flammable liquids and gases, especially petroleum or petroleum-based products. Some examples include:

  • Gasoline
  • Paint
  • Kerosine
  • Propane
  • Butane

However, Class B does not typically include fires involving cooking oils or grease. These materials are in their own class, Class K.

How Do Class B Fires Start?

Class B fires occur when flammable liquids ignite. For example, lighter fluid may catch fire on a charcoal grill or gasoline, grease or paint may ignite while a mechanic is working on a car. 

How to Extinguish Class B Fires

The best method of extinguishing Class B fires is by smothering them or cutting the oxygen supply using foam, powder, or carbon dioxide fire suppression equipment, such as extinguishers. 

It is important not to use a water extinguisher on a Class B fire as water may spread the flammable material and cause the fire.

Class C Fires: Electrical Fires

Class C fires involve an electricity source and/or electric equipment. They may begin from:

  • A short circuit
  • Faulty wiring
  • Electrical/power cord damage 
  • Faulty Breaker boxes
  • Damaged appliances
  • Overloaded electrical outlets

How Do Class C Fires Start?

Class C fires can occur in many situations. An example would be an overloaded outlet causing the plug and/or cord of the device to spark and set on fire.

How to Extinguish Class C Fires

Since suppressing Class C fires can be complicated, we’ve broken down the process into a few short steps:

  1. If it is safe, disconnect the item from its power source. 
  2. Extinguish the fire using a carbon dioxide or dry powder fire extinguisher. These are non-conductive extinguishing agents that will help protect you from electrical shock and cut off the fire’s oxygen supply.
  3. Do not use water or a foam extinguisher, as you would with Class A fires. Water and foam conduct electricity and could make the situation more dangerous.

Class D Fires: Combustible Metal Fires

Class D fires involve metals catching on fire. Flammable metals include, but are not limited to:

  • Titanium
  • Aluminum
  • Calcium
  • Sodium
  • Magnesium
  • Potassium

How Do Class D Fires Start?

Metallic fires require extreme heat to ignite and start most often when the materials are in the form of fines, such as metal dust. This may occur, for example, at manufacturing plants, laboratories or warehouses that cut, drill or mill metal materials.

How to Extinguish Class D Fires

Class D fires should not be put out with water because water can make the fire more dangerous. Instead, use a dry powder fire extinguisher or other dry powder agents to smother the fire. 

Class K Fires: Cooking Fires

Class K fires, similar to Class B fires, occur as a result of the combustion of flammable liquids. Class K fires are categorized separately because of their unique setting and are instead associated with cooking liquids in the food service and restaurant industry. These liquid cooking materials include:

  • Grease
  • Oils
  • Animal fats
  • Vegetable fats 

How Do Class K Fires Start?

Cooking fires can happen by leaving cooking food unattended–remember when your mom told you not to do that? This is why!– or forgetting to turn off the stove. 

Commercial kitchens have a high risk of a Class K fire occurring and can contain an array of safety risks and hazards. Learn more about kitchen fire safety management, here. 

How to Extinguish Class K Fires

It may be your instinct in the kitchen to toss a glass of water on the fire, but that could make it worse. Cooking fires can spread quickly and are often worsened by water.  Instead, smother the fire-like putting a large metal lid over a small fire in a pan- to cut off the oxygen supply or use a wet agent fire extinguisher.  

Who Can Inspect and Maintain My Fire Protection Systems?

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Frequent fire protection system inspections and maintenance are essential in protecting your property and, more importantly, your people. But, building owners may have questions such as: who can inspect my fire protection systems? Do they need a license? How often should the systems be inspected? What will be covered in the inspection? Let’s dive in and answer some of these questions.

First, What is a Fire Safety Inspection?

A fire safety inspection is a necessary examination of a building or structure and its relevant fire safety documents. A fire safety inspection measures how well your building is managed in regard to fire safety. 

Legally, buildings must comply with a set of building codes and ordinances to keep their occupants safe. A fire safety inspection ensures you are doing so and calculates the potential risk factor in a given facility. 

Who Can Inspect and Maintain My Fire Protection Systems? 

This is a tricky question that does not, unfortunately, have one answer. Why? NFPA standards aren’t clear on who, exactly, may work with a fire protection system across the United States. NFPA 25 requires that those engaging in inspection, testing, and maintenance must be “qualified.”  The meaning of “qualified” may be left up to individual jurisdictions.

However, if you own a building in California, there are some clear rules to follow. Let’s take a look.

In California, a license is required to test or maintain a fire sprinkler system.

From the California Health and Safety Code:

“13196.5. (a) Except as provided in subdivisions (b), (c), and (d), no person shall engage in the business of servicing or testing automatic fire extinguishing systems without a license issued by the State Fire Marshal pursuant to this chapter.”

We understand that maintaining fire sprinkler systems can be complicated. If you have questions, we have answers. Reach out to us today if you are unsure who should inspect your fire protection system. 

Who is Responsible For Ensuring All Systems Are Properly Maintained?

According to NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, the owner is responsible for inspections, testing, and maintenance, as well as any alterations or additions to the fire alarm system. 

If your building’s fire system is being regularly inspected and is up to code, it significantly decreases the probability that your property will be destroyed in the event of a fire. 

How Often Should Fire System Inspections Occur?

According to the NFPA code, inspections of your fire and life safety systems are required to occur on a quarterly and annual basis. 

What is NFPA Code?

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has over 300 codes and standards that apply to nearly all buildings, services, installations, and processes. NFPA codes are designed to reduce or minimize the effects of fires and other safety risks. 

A little intimidated to start reading 300 NFPA codes and standards? That’s okay- we get it! Begin by checking out this article, where we break down a couple of codes you should know. 

What Will Be On My Inspection Report?

Your inspection report will include:

  • The location of every device in the building
  • Whether each device passed or failed inspection
  • The reasons why each device passed or failed inspection
  • Date and time stamps of when each device was inspected
  • Device inventory 
  • Device warranty status
  • Indication of the length of time devices have been in service
  • Verification of report results

Do All Fire System Components Need to Be Checked With The Same Frequency?

Some components of a fire system need to be checked more often than others. 

For instance, a fire pump may require weekly or monthly inspections, whereas sprinkler systems may only need a quarterly check. 

Learn About The Effects Of Corrosion And What You Can Do To Protect The Safety Of Your Building

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Corrosion can have a serious impact on the effectiveness of your building’s fire protection system, and it can be very expensive to fix. This is why identifying and minimizing it are key parts of maintaining a system in a safe and cost-effective manner. Learn more about the dangers of corrosion for fire sprinkler systems and what you can do to prevent it:

Corrosion can seriously affect the integrity of a sprinkler system

Corrosion, or the reaction between a metal alloy and its environment, is an irreversible process which causes “gradual deterioration of metal surface by water, moisture or other corrosive chemicals.” Different fire protection systems are susceptible to different types of corrosion, however, wet sprinkler systems are more common and almost exclusively used in South Florida – so wet system corrosion is usually the main concern of building owners and operators in the Sunshine State.

One of the costliest effects of corrosion is how it can negatively affect the integrity of sprinkler piping systems. Accumulated corrosion in pipes can cause leaks and limit the flow of water, making sprinkler systems less effective, and sometimes even completely obstructing water to a sprinkler when it’s most needed – during a fire.

Oxygen is the primary cause of serious corrosion in wet sprinkler systems

Trapped air in wet sprinkler systems provides a source of oxygen that can cause corrosion, meaning that reducing air pockets is essential to lower the chance of damage to the piping. There are a variety of methods used to mitigate oxygen corrosion, including the regular usage of an air-release valve or air vents, using nitrogen as a supervisory gas, and limiting the infusion of oxygen-heavy freshwater into the piping system. Employing an air-release valve may also have other benefits, including reduced water delivery time and reduced alarm ring delays.

Microbiological growth is another cause of sprinkler system corrosion

A report (document) by the National Fire Protection Association states that microbiological growth is an increasing concern for fire sprinkler systems. Instead of typical corrosion, which usually develops somewhat evenly over longer periods of time, microbiological growth is more concentrated and accelerated – meaning that it can grow very quickly in a small area of piping to create a large obstruction or a small pinhole in the piping, which can severely impact the efficacy of the entire system. According to the NFPA, there are many examples of systems with feed mains over 60% obstructed from biological growth, and in some cases, thousands of pounds of debris can even accumulate in medium-sized piping.

There is often no indication of a problem until a leak or a fire occurs

One of the most insidious aspects of fire system piping corrosion is that building owners, managers, operators, and sometimes even less-thorough inspectors have no idea that there is any problem until a leak occurs. When a leak or other serious problem happens in the system randomly, the building’s owners and occupants are actually quite lucky – if it occurred during a fire, it could lead to building damage or injury.

Unfortunately, the problem may not be identified until during or after the emergency in cases where corrosion has caused unknown blockage or leakage of a fire sprinkler piping system, unless regular inspections are performed, including internal obstruction inspections that are a part of a 5-year inspection cycle.

This is just another reason why high-quality inspection, proper maintenance, and sometimes replacement of components of a fire protection apparatus are necessary.

How Much Does a Fire Alarm System Cost?

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The short answer is ‘it depends.’

The long answer is that we can help you understand the factors that will influence the cost of a fire alarm system for your commercial property! Let’s get started.

What to Consider

Depending on your property, each of these factors could require different levels and types of fire alarm systems. A good rule of thumb to follow is understanding that the larger and more complex your facility is, the more you will need to invest in your fire protection systems to keep everyone safe in case of an emergency. 

Size of Building

Yes, the cost of a fire alarm system for Knottsberry farms is going to be different than the tiny mom and pop shop on the corner. 

In general, a good rule of thumb to follow is, the larger your building, the higher the cost to keep everyone safe in case of an emergency. If the building is older, there will most likely be obstacles for a fire safety crew (like Fortis!) to work with.

Additionally, if there are special system preferences and repairs, the cost will reflect this. 

Types of Facilities

The cost of your fire alarm system depends greatly on the environment. Below are some of the more complex environments that may require a little more fire alarm TLC: 

  • Oil Refineries
  • Data Centers
  • Aircraft Hangers
  • Manufacturing & Testing Facilities 
  • Power Generation
  • Healthcare Facilities

What Are You Storing? 

Another big factor in cost depends on what contents you are storing within your facility. More complex environments usually mean high hazard equipment or contents such as: 

  • Chemicals
  • Combustibles
  • Flammable Liquids
  • Corrosives
  • Spray Painting Equipment
  • Welding Equipment

Fire Season 

Fire season is in full swing. As a result, fire safety costs and insurance is going up in price! This can be a factor in how expensive a fire alarm system will cost. This can be another factor in the cost of your fire protection. 

There are different aspects that will contribute to the cost of a fire alarm system like: 

  • Where is it? 
  • What state? 
  • How big is the building?

Depending on these factors, additional monthly fees could apply. 

Learn More About Fortis

At Fortis, we provide cutting-edge expertise in fire protection planning, design, and construction. We understand the challenges that modern facilities face and utilize our experience to find efficient and cost-effective solutions. From initial planning to acceptance testing and beyond, we offer a comprehensive suite of services.

We utilize the latest in computer-automated design to map out your system so we know the exact specifications before we even set foot on your job site. No need for drawings, we can map your facility and create blueprints from scratch.

We facilitate BIM coordination for new construction projects. We work with your BIM coordinator to load in our plans to avoid structural conflicts before they happen.

Additionally, all of our designers are NICET certified in their respective fields.
Learn more about our fire protection services, here.