We all want to be prepared for any type of fire emergency. And fires can be extinguished in a few ways. Sure, we automatically go to reach for the fire extinguishers but, they have specific uses. So, before you pick up a fire extinguisher, here is a quick rundown of each and what type of fire they are suited for:
Water extinguishers. If cost-effectiveness is your goal, the water extinguisher is the best bet. These are best at extinguishing Class A fires made from solid material, like wood or paper and have a variety of sprays to choose from. Look for a red label.
Foam extinguishers. Foam extinguishers can be used on Class A and B, or fires made with liquids like gasoline or oils. The foam seals the fire basically suffocating the vapors and snuffing out the fire. These have a cream label.
Powder extinguishers. Next in line is the powder extinguishers, ideal for Class A, B and C fires, or fires involving gasses. Because it uses powder to put out these fires, it isn’t ideal for inside use because it causes a loss of visibility and breathing issues when activated. A blue label identifies these.
Carbon dioxide extinguishers. If you have a place with a lot of electrical equipment, a CO2 extinguisher is a must-have item. Because they don’t leave a residue, they are also suitable for Class B fires as well. Look for a black label.
Wet chemical extinguishers. Kitchen fires are what is considered to be a Class F fire and a wet chemical extinguisher is ideal for these, as well as Class A and B, because the soap-like solution is fast-acting. They have a yellow label. Another option for a kitchen fire is a fire blanket.
For more information about fire updates, call CJ Suppression at 888-821-2334 or visit the website at www.cjsuppression.com.
CJ Suppression proudly serves Corona, CA and all surrounding areas.
If you are one of the proactive families with an in-home fire sprinkler system, it is important that you know that regular maintenance checks are crucial to ensure that you and your family is safe. You may prefer to hire a professional to come in to do the work for you, there are some basic tips to maintaining your fire protection system in the coming months on your own:
Check on shutoff valves. The first step is to make a visual check on all the water shutoff valves to see if they’re all open and if the storage tank is full if they have one. Those living in very cold areas, or have pipes in the attic, should also check the insulation on their pipes.
Conduct flow tests periodically. Flow tests should be conducted every few months. To test, simply open the valve slowly and let the water run its course for more than a minute. Also, keep in mind that if your sprinkler system is connected to the fire alarm, this testing may cause it to trigger.
Check the sprinkler components. Make sure that the sprinkler heads and cover plates are not painted over and obstructions like stacks of boxes and shelves far away from the heads.
Use visual signs. Accidentally locking the sprinkler valves in the closed position by mistake is a common mistake, so placing signs near the sprinkler components can help remind everyone what the correct positions are.
Secure the control valves. Routinely check if all sprinkler control valves are locked in the open position. If your valves are connected to your fire alarm system, you can supervise them electronically or adding LO/TO signs to prevent unauthorized closures.
For more information about fire updates, call CJ Suppression at 888-821-2334 or visit the website at www.cjsuppression.com.
CJ Suppression proudly serves Corona, CA and all surrounding areas.
As we carve our jack o’ lanterns and decorate for the spookiest of holidays we have, it is important to remember that roughly 800 home fires are sparked each year. And 1/3 of those fires were sparked by candles. Rather than using a candle, why not use a battery-powered candle or a glow stick. Not only will that lessen the chance of starting an accidental fire, but it will also add a spooky glow safely. Here are some other fire safety tips to consider when celebrating with your little ghouls and goblins:
Costumes. When choosing a costume, it is wise to stay away from ones that have things that hang or drag behind you. These are easy to catch on fire without you knowing as they are away from the body. If a mask is worn, make sure the eye holes are large enough to see your surroundings.
Decorations. Because this is an autumn season, straw and dried leaves are used a lot to decorate. These are all highly flammable items, so make sure to keep them away from any flames or heat sources you may be using. Also, keep fire escapes free from your scary décor.
General safety. As always, it is important to make sure that all of your fire alarms are in working order. We are getting into the colder months, so heaters are coming out and fireplaces are being lit. Have a fire escape route readily available. Make sure everyone in your family know how to stop, drop and roll. Knowledge is key when faced with a fire, so practicing what to do during a fire will only prepare your family to escape from a house fire in the safest way.
For more information about seasonal safety tips, call CJ Suppression at 888-821-2334 or visit the website at www.cjsuppression.com.
CJ Suppression proudly serves Corona, CA and all surrounding areas.
We all want to make sure we are protected from fire. Not only ourselves and our property, but our staff and neighbors are also at risk if something happens and a fire breaks out. One way to do this is with fire sprinklers. They are fast-acting and can really prevent damages by fire that would be happening while waiting for the fire department to arrive. But like anything, they become victims to wear and tear. This is why it is important to fire your fire sprinkler system inspected regularly. If you doubt the importance of fire sprinkler inspections, here are a few reasons to convince you why you should take them seriously:
Water supply and pressure. The efficiency of a fire sprinkler system relies on the available water supply. If too low, then the system won’t be able to work as it is intended to and fires will spread quicker, rendering the sprinklers almost useless.
Proper water flow. While pressure is checked during the initial design and installation phase, continued periodical checking makes sure the fire sprinkler system is okay and working properly.
Obstruction-free. The whole system will also be checked for obstructions that may damage the system. These obstructions are then cleaned out periodically to make sure that the fire sprinkler system works as intended.
It may be required by law. In most states, including California, the National Fire Protection Agency have set out quite a few regulations regarding fire sprinkler systems. They mandate the installation of such systems, especially in commercial buildings, but also require them to be checked periodically by a licensed inspector.
For more information about fire sprinkler inspection, call CJ Suppression at 888-821-2334 or visit the website at www.cjsuppression.com.
CJ Suppression proudly serves Corona, CA and all surrounding areas.
Extinguishers, sprinklers, hoses, even a towel – there are many ways to put out a fire. It really just depends on the situation and the type of fire. Firefighting foam systems suppress fire by separating the fuel from the air. Depending on the type of foam system, this is done in a few different ways:
Foam covers the fuel surface and smothers the
fire.
The fuel source is cooled by the foam’s water
content.
The foam blanket suppresses the release of
flammable vapors that can mix with the air.
Engineered and manufactured fire suppression systems ensure
a rapid, thorough, and economical response to fires and spills.
Customized to application specifications, our dependable engineered systems
include bladder tanks and pump-type balanced-pressure proportioning systems;
in-line balanced-pressure proportioning systems; high-expansion foam systems;
large dry chemical systems and skids; twin-agent systems and skids; foam
trailers; large dry chemical and twin-agent trailers; monitor trailers; aqueous
film-forming foam (AFFF) pump systems; water-powered AFFF pump skids;
foam/water monitors; nozzles; eductors; ratio-flow controllers; foam makers;
foam chambers, and specialized proportioning storage and monitor trailers.
Listed high-expansion foam systems provide fire-fighting
protection for diverse applications: aircraft hangars; basements; cable
tunnels; flammable packaging areas; flammable liquid drum storage areas;
hazardous waste facilities; LNG tank farms and loading facilities; mines;
roll-paper warehouses; shipboard engine rooms, bilges, and holds; storage
buildings; warehouses; and fire breaks. The light, voluminous foam
blanket produced by our high-expansion foam systems can quickly obtain great
heights, reaching elevated flammable materials (such as on storage racks).
The foam blanket efficiently transports small amounts of water to the fire,
encapsulating the flammable vapors and causing suppression and extinguishment.
A fire broke out Wednesday morning in a 25-story Westside
residential building, sending residents climbing out windows and fleeing to the
rooftop to escape the flames. The blaze, which erupted on the sixth floor at
the Barrington Plaza apartments in the 11700 block of Wilshire Boulevard, was
reported shortly after 8:30 a.m. by fire crews, who were tending a nearby blaze
that had begun earlier.
At least 300 firefighters responded to help battle the fire
and evacuate residents inside the building. Eleven residents were injured;
seven were sent to a hospital for treatment, including a 3-month-old baby, and
four were treated at the scene. Most were suffering from smoke inhalation. Two
firefighters suffered minor burns.
One 30-year-old man required CPR and was listed in grave
condition Wednesday afternoon, and another 30-year-old man was in critical
condition, according to Los Angeles Fire Capt. Erik Scott. “The preliminary
information is the two most critically injured … were both in the unit of fire
origin,” Scott said.
Fire officials initially reported that some people had
jumped from the building to escape the flames. Authorities later clarified that
two people contemplated jumping but were rescued by fire officials. Residents
crawled on their bellies through thick smoke to escape. One man was seen
clinging to a ledge before a fire ladder was hoisted up to him. “This could
have been much worse,” Scott said.
Fire officials said residents won’t be allowed back into the
building overnight while they investigate the blaze, which was deemed
suspicious.
Firefighters took an unconventional approach in battling the
flames, hosing the building from the outside in an effort to cool the units
before allowing firefighters to tackle the flames inside. The bulk of the fire
was on the sixth floor of the 240-unit high-rise, though three other levels
were damaged by smoke, officials said.
While some crews focused on the fire inside, others were
tasked with evacuations. At least 15 people, some in bathrobes, were airlifted
to safety from the building’s rooftop. Officials said it was the first time the
fire chopper had been used in rescue efforts. “This was a herculean effort by
the members of the Los Angeles Fire Department,” said Fire Chief Ralph
Terrazas. “It takes a lot of coordination, and our resources did a good job.”
After an intense, hourlong battle that was made more
challenging by strong winds gusting up to 35 mph, firefighters were able to
knock down the flames shortly before 10 a.m. Deputy Police Chief Justin
Eisenberg said the Los Angeles Police Department and arson investigators were
studying the blaze to determine whether it was criminal or accidental. No one
has been arrested in connection with the fire, he said. The separate fire that
started earlier in the morning about three blocks away also is part of the
investigation.
Mackenzie Williams, 25, said she was driving to work at Pure
Barre — a fitness studio at Wilshire Boulevard and Granville Avenue — about 9
a.m. when she “saw one firetruck pass by me, then I saw two, then I saw 10,
then I saw about 20, so I definitely knew something was going on.” After seeing
smoke pouring from the building and the helicopter evacuations, she said, “I
just hope everyone is OK over there.”
John Tavakoli was outside when the floor where his
grandmother lives burst into flames. As firefighters rushed to evacuate her and
her neighbors, his initial horror settled into smoldering rage — another fire
like this one had burned here a few years ago, but little had changed. Like
others, he blamed the revolving door of short-term renters for unsafe
conditions in the building.
“A lot of people Airbnb here.” he said. “They party all
night — they’re up until 2 a.m. on a Tuesday.”
Meanwhile, he said, safety issues have gone unaddressed.
“Our rent goes up, utilities go up, but one elevator’s
always broken,” he said.
Resident Gavyn Straus stood barefoot on the sidewalk,
holding a towel around his American-flag bathing suit as he watched a Sheriff’s
Department helicopter hoisting stranded neighbors off the roof. He had been in
the pool swimming laps when he turned his head for a breath and noticed the
smoke. Right away, he leaped out of the pool and dashed up to alert neighbors
on his floor.
The smoke “was like a black wall” on the seventh floor, he
said. Higher up, he started banging on doors, telling neighbors to get out.
Twins Kristina and Kimberly Pagano, recent UCLA grads, were
asleep in their apartment when the fire broke out. They woke up to the sound of
firetrucks. Moments later, the building fire alarm went off, and they rushed
outside.
Both immediately thought of the 2013 fire, believed to have
been sparked by a cigarette. The building still allows residents to smoke in
their units on designated floors, which the sisters had toured before moving
in. Like others, they said the building hosts a large number of short-term
visitors.
“We always see people with luggage,” Kristina said.
“It’s like a hotel,” Kimberly agreed.
Officials have said that there is no indication the fire was
caused by anyone smoking inside or that it broke out in a unit rented as an
Airbnb. The building is covered by L.A.’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance, which
limits annual rent increases for tenants, but some of its units are exempt from
that law, according to housing department spokeswoman Sandra Mendoza. Under an
ordinance that went into effect last year, Angelenos cannot rent out their
apartments for short stays if they live in a rent-stabilized unit.
The 2013 fire erupted on the 11th floor of the building,
displacing up to 150 residents and injuring two people. It also raised concerns
about a lack of sprinkler systems in some buildings in Los Angeles. Barrington
Plaza was not equipped with a sprinkler system at the time. Because it was
built nearly 60 years ago, it does not fall under state regulations later
adopted that forced buildings taller than 75 feet to include such
fire-suppression systems unless granted an exemption.
Los Angeles has a loophole in its fire code that allows 71 residential high-rises to house tenants despite having no fire sprinklers in the buildings. The structures were built between 1943 and 1974, when new codes required sprinklers.
Deputy Chief Armando Hogan said Wednesday the building still
does not have sprinklers. There have been repeated attempts to require older
buildings to install sprinkler systems, including a push after Barrington
Plaza’s last fire, but landlords at the time argued they would cost too much.
A year ago, the City Council again tabled a proposal to
require sprinklers in all buildings. One of the sponsors of the measure said
the issue lost momentum amid opposition from landlords, but Councilman Mike
Bonin said he will reintroduce a mandate for sprinklers in light of the latest
blaze.
Curtis Massey, chief executive of fire safety consulting
company Massey Emergency Management, said the sprinkler systems typically seen
in modern high-rises quickly douse flames before they have a chance to spread. “It’s
like an on-duty 24-hour firefighter that’s able to respond faster in most
circumstances to a fire than the building staff or the fire department,” said
Massey, whose company has worked on fire preparedness plans for Century Plaza
and the Wilshire Grand Center.
Modern fire safety features also include elevator and
stairwell-pressurization systems that keep the smoke out of those areas, he
said.
In 2014, a group of tenants in the high-rise sued the
building’s corporate owner for negligence. According to residents, several fire
alarms failed to sound in Barrington Plaza as the October 2013 blaze spread. A
door to the roof was locked and the stairwells filled with choking smoke,
tenants said. “The conditions at the supposedly high-end apartment building
were atrocious,” attorney Mark Geragos said at the time.
Resident Ivo Gerscovich’s 2-year-old daughter and
father-in-law were found unconscious in a smoke-filled stairwell above the 20th
floor during the 2013 fire. “It’s a deathtrap,” Gerscovich said then. “It’s
totally insane and indefensible.” Ben Meiselas, an attorney with Geragos’ firm,
said the building “is a relic of the 1960s.” “It conformed to codes of the
1960s, and since that time, they’ve availed themselves through grandfather
clauses of the building codes of that bygone era,” he said.
Meiselas said building owners should be required to
prominently display whether their structures adhere to current codes. “You have
this building that advertises itself as a class-A luxury building, but back in
2013, at least, it really had fundamental safety issues,” he said.
Residents said that they weren’t aware of any additional
safety measures. “This situation really scares me,” said Ploy Pengsomboon, who
was able to evacuate from her ninth-floor unit only after smelling smoke and
hearing firetruck sirens. “I’m scared if one day I’m in a deep sleep and
something like this happens. I didn’t get a chance to prepare. They should tell
everyone to get out and shouldn’t let us learn about it ourselves.”
The blaring of a fire alarm woke 84-year-old Dan Karzen, who
has lived in Barrington Plaza for 20 years. “I had my pajamas on, so I had to
hurry to put some clothes on, grab my phone and walk out the door of my
16th-floor apartment,” Karzen said. “I knew it was bad because there was all
this smoke.”
After leaving the building, he crossed the street to a strip
mall, where he stopped to await word from fire officials. “I don’t know when
we’re going to go back in, and I don’t want to leave because all my stuff is up
there,” he said.
When Liz Bowers was jolted awake by sirens, she smelled
smoke and immediately thought it couldn’t be another fire, remembering the 2013
blaze. But when she looked out her window, there it was. “I was like … it’s
Tower A again,” she said. She had a clear view of the flames and clouds of
black smoke. She could hear screams and windows blowing out from the heat of
the flames. Bowers ran downstairs to the public pool area shared by the two
buildings and continued watching as firefighters worked to quell the flames and
rescue residents. After witnessing the dramatic events, she decided she’d had
enough. She needs to move out.
Bowers thought about all the times she could smell cigarette
and marijuana smoke from her apartment, the result of little oversight from
building managers, she said. She spent three years knocking on the leasing
office’s door, writing letters and making phone calls to building managers.
Eventually, she gave up. “They should have put sprinklers in after the [2013]
fire,” she said. “They let everybody smoke. There’s a lot of Airbnb [rentals].
You get all these people coming into party and smoke pot. The landlords don’t
care.”
Times staff writers Matt Stiles, Dakota Smith, Colleen Shalby, Andrew J. Campa, Emily Alpert Reyes, James Rainey and Matthew Ormseth contributed to this report.
For more information about our services, call CJ Suppression at 888-821-2334 or visit the website at www.cjsuppression.com.
CJ Suppression proudly serves Corona, CA and all surrounding areas.
We all want to be safe from the harm and damage that comes
from a fire. No one wants to lose anything or anyone due to an accidental fire.
Unfortunately, this can’t be helped – they’re called accidents for a reason. This
is why it is so important to be prepared, in case one of these accidents
arises. One way to do this is by designing a fire protection for you and your valuables.
But, where does one even begin?
The design of fire protection systems is a multi-step process beginning with an assessment of the environment to be protected. Factors both internal and external to the environment are considered. We begin with a site survey of the facility then provide the client with appropriate alternatives based on an assessment of the fire protection and life safety needs. Once a decision is made on the specific type of system required, we assign a primary engineer to the project that then develops the appropriate engineering design.
Our CAD design services include:
Fire sprinkler design drawings with as much detail as required and then some.
All designs are based on the latest NFPA codes. All schematic CAD drawings include underground fire supply, riser details with location within structure, main and branch line locations, sprinkler head type and location.
Bid drawings can also include back-up specifications, water analysis, and hydraulic calculations.
Fire sprinkler fabrication/installation/coordination drawings include all compliments listed above including computer generated shop drawings, hydraulic calculations and material submittals.
Fire Pump and/or ground storage tank installation drawings with all associated piping and equipment.
Special hazard suppression system fabrication/installation drawings.
For more information about our services, call CJ Suppression at 888-821-2334 or visit the website at www.cjsuppression.com.
CJ Suppression proudly serves Corona, CA and all surrounding areas.
Almost every family that celebrates Christmas has a
ridiculous story of how someone got into some shenanigans at some point — but
it seems likely that only one Texas family can say that this December they
accidentally set their lawn ablaze with a magnifying glass.
Nissa-Lynn Parson was not surprised when her 12-year-old
Cayden asked for the magnifying glass for Christmas. She explained he loves
reading and science, so she assumed that was why he wanted it. “It’s like a
basketball player asking for basketball shoes,” she added.
The family donned their matching pajamas and opened presents
on the big day. After the exchange, the kids went outside to try to burn a few
holes into newspapers with Cayden’s gift. “We were watching it and everything,”
Parson explained. “I was happy they were outside playing together! They weren’t
playing video games and wanted to go outside.”
Her 15-year-old was holding a paper that caught fire and the
wind blew it out of his hands, Parson said, and into the lawn.
“The kids ran inside and said ‘Mom, dad, we got a little bit
of the grass on fire!’” she said. They rushed outside and within seconds, the
whole lawn was ablaze.
“We’re all in Christmas pajamas, someone had a bucket of
water, my husband turned the sprinklers on,” she said. “We got it contained and
it wasn’t a problem.”
The family fire brigade was able to extinguish the blaze
without calling the fire department. “It could’ve been a lot worse,” Parson
said. “We were very blessed and thankful it wasn’t worse.” The fire even took
out a small part of their neighbor’s lawn, but Parson said they took it well. “They
were totally understanding and they kind of laughed because they also have
kids,” she said.
She believes part of the reason her Facebook post went viral
was because so many people can identify with it. “I think that’s one of the
reasons this story took off, because so many people related,” she said. “(We’re
lucky) it just turned out to be a Christmas memory and not a tragedy.”
Samantha Kubota is a digital journalist and editor for TODAY.com.
For more information about our services, call CJ Suppression at 888-821-2334 or visit the website at www.cjsuppression.com.
CJ Suppression proudly serves Corona, CA and all surrounding areas.
Fire safety is important for both you and everything you’re
responsible for. We are a one-stop shop for all of these needs because we are
dedicated to supplying top notch service with quality end results:
Inspections/certifications. Our trained technicians perform all required inspections and testing to ensure your fire protection system is fully operational.
Title 19 (5-year inspection). This procedure inspects
all components of your fire protection system and is performed every five
years.
Annual. This procedure inspects the required
components of your fire protection system on a yearly basis.
Quarterly. This procedure inspects the required
components of your fire protection system every 3 months.
Fire pumps. Fire pump inspections are typically
performed annually and more frequent depending on the authority having jurisdiction
or insurance carrier.
Backflow. Testing and certification are required
annually in most jurisdictions.
Flow tests. Hydrant flow testing are needed for
system inspection/certification and water flow requirements for system
hydraulic calculation design.
Kitchen hoods. We perform installation, inspection, testing, certification and cleaning of kitchen hoods per NFPA codes requirements.
Maintenance. We can provide a structured maintenance
program with automatic scheduling within our in-house database.
Repairs. We provide repair service of any type of
fire protection system from underground fire line to overhead wet, dry or
special hazard systems.
24-hr emergency service. Our on-call staff can
facilitate support for any type of emergency around the clock.
Employee training. We provide education and training
sessions of all types of fire protection systems to employees and or
management.
Fire extinguisher service. We specialize in service
and sales of all fire extinguishers.
Fire extinguisher training. Our onsite training for any size company to ensure proper protocol in case of a fire event.
For more information about our services, call CJ Suppression at 888-821-2334 or visit the website at www.cjsuppression.com.
CJ Suppression proudly serves Corona, CA and all surrounding areas.
Having safe and protected buildings are a top priority for any landlord. Not only does it keep your tenants safe, but it also keeps your investment protected. And as time goes on, wear and tear take place and buildings need to have some improvements done. The same goes for fire safety – we need to invest some time and money in order to protect everyone and everything from a fire. Fire sprinklers are a fantastic investment in order to keep up your fire safety, but even this needs to be improved from time to time. It is time to call in a professional.
But where do you start? It can be a daunting task trying to figure out just what you need to be fire safe. You can rely on word of mouth, but can you be sure? When making tenant improvements, it is essential to confide in a reliable company that will get the job done in a timely manner. After all, improving anything will surely disrupt your daily business, so having things done quickly and correctly is necessary to keep things moving smoothly. The professionals of CJ Suppression have years of expertise with tenant improvements and specialize in all of the following:
Installation
Relocation
Rework within improvements
Remodels
Modifying fire sprinkler systems
Thorough tenant improvements ensure that your business runs smoothly and efficiently. For this reason, it is vital to rely on our company to avoid any complications. Call CJ Suppression in Corona, CA today and ask about how our experience with tenant improvements can help you.
For more information about tenant improvements, call CJ Suppression at 888-821-2334 or visit the website at www.cjsuppression.com.
CJ Suppression proudly serves Corona, CA and all surrounding areas.