March 14, 2011 - FacilitiesNet.com. The University of Utah discusses the many benefits of electronically monitoring their Fire Extinguishers and AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators), including improved emergency response time, lowered vandalism rates and assurance that their devices are in place and ready to use.
FacilitiesNet.com - University of Utah Uses En-Gauge to Monitor AED's
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en-Gauge strengthens partnerships
en-Gauge Inc in Rockland Ma. continues to grow and strengthen its partnerships throughout the fields of safety asset management. en-Gauge’s safety asset monitoring technology has three divisions; en-Gauge to monitor the condition of fire extinguishers, en-Vision that monitors the readiness of safety equipment and en-O2 which ensures the viability of a medical and industrial gases within healthcare and other occupancies.
Read the whole article here...
Where there's smoke, there's fire. And that was the case at a Houston Hospital. Fortunately the fire was put out with an extinguisher before anyone was hurt. It's a good thing the extinguisher was acccessible and ready to use so that there was no significant damage or worse, loss of life.
A number of fires at San Jose State in California leave students worrying.
Fire crews responded to two small fires Thursday morning at Joe West Hall, a high-rise building where about 500 students live.
One was reported in a garbage can on the seventh floor, and the second was reported on the fifth floor. One student suffered cuts to his arm when he broke into a fire extinguisher box.
A 2009 survey by the Joint Commission an independent, non-profit organization that accredits health care organizations found that the number one challenge indicated in maintaining the environment of care was fire safety equipment maintenance.
Among the Joint Commission's requirements is the monthly physical maintenance and inspection of fire equipment. Monthly physical inspections can be costly, especially in time and labor required.
The good news is that like the NFPA and the ICC, the Joint Commission now recognizes en-Gauge's technology as an equivalent to the manual 30-day fire extinguisher inspections. Health care facilities that adopt en-Gauge can reduce risk, stay code compliant and potentially reduce the cost of extinguisher ownership by some 60% over 12 years.
Read the full release for details.
How sad is this? Just days before school is supposed to start vandals strike the same school twice in two days. This follows vandalism at another school in the district that resulted in $50,000 in damage.
Of course, fire extinguishers were used in each case. The school is now installing cameras. Another good option would be en-Gauge electronically monitored fire extinguishers. When done, security and law enforcement officials could be immediately notified when an extinguisher was removed -- perhaps allowing for the vandals to be caught in the act.
Electronic monitoring of fire extinguishers and annual safety inspections make schools safer.