Good news - alarm worked !! fire loss averted /
comments on NYC fire dept inspection and service certificate requirements
June 9, 2012
**************
comment
**************
Ken -
I wanted to share with you a success story and some positive news in the world. In all the doom and gloom we see regarding the risks that our industry is exposed to, I wanted to share with you just how one of our fire alarm installations saved our customer's family owned business.
At first when I engaged my customer almost two years ago he was hesitant to make the investment because of the cost. He had no idea just how expensive a fire alarm was.
The system is a combination fire & burg system that uses and internet communicator with cell backup. The system was installed to local code.
Here is my customer's testimonial verbatim:
"Almost two years ago, my company hired Keystone Security to install a burglar and fire alarm system. Admittedly, I never thought we’d need it but it was a prudent investment that provided peace of mind and a savings on our insurance premiums. On May 16th, at 1:19 AM in the wee hours of the night, a fire in the front office broke out when an employee left a candle burning.
Thankfully, the fire alarm system detected the smoke before it became a real fire and called the fire department. It is without exaggeration that had we not had the system we might have lost our business. At 3:00 AM when I called Keystone Security, a real person answered the phone and was there to assist me with a system reset. By 10:30 am the same day, Keystone had been to our facility and replaced the smoke detector that saved our business.
It is with extreme gratitude that I write this while sitting in my place of business
contemplating what today might have looked like had Keystone Security not done such an exemplary job. Thank you Keystone Security."
--------------
When I arrived at the customer's business to put the system back into service I
noticed the single office with obvious fire damage. If it weren’t for the smoke
detector just outside the office there would have been much more damage.
Take care and keep those articles coming.
John Romero
****************
Response
***************
Thanks for sharing some good news.
**************
comments on NYC fire dept inspection and service certificate requirements
**************
Ken
Read Bulletin #22 from the NYC Department of Buildings. This bulletin defines work requiring a permit and repairs not requiring a permit (item #1).
The last sentence of item 1 in the bulletin states "However all such repairs shall be done by a licensed electrician." No repairs since that date are likely to be legal. When was the last time a licensee turned a screw to repair a device?
Further a careful reading of the NYC electrical code and the current interpretation of the NYC code by the BEC requires all FA and security work to be done under the supervision of a licensed electrician. (Note specifically the code definitions of low voltage installation.) The DOb takes the position that an alarm firm can directly employ a licensee (makling the company an electrical firm) or employ an electrical firm to do the work, but that the employees doing the work must be employees of the electrical firm not of the alarm firm.
There appears to have been an intent, similar to licensing types in other AHJ areas, of developing and giving a test for licensing Low Voltage work. Since that did not occur in NYC, the DOB says all such work requires an electrician's license.