by Jitendra

Fire Suppression: Meeting Unique Safety Challenges

Fire Suppression Systems offer a wide range of response to extinguishing fires in the most challenging hazard areas where a traditional water system would cause too much damage or down time.

When properly designed, installed, and maintained, the breadth of fire suppression technologies available today gives facilities the flexibility they need to balance both fire safety and compliance with the preservation of expensive equipment and other valuables. When water cannot do the job, or would cause too much damage and downtime, fire suppression is the answer.

New technologies exist that can protect assets such as specialized production equipment, data centers, MRI machines, telecommunications towers, and priceless works of art that are either critical to business uptime or are irreplaceable. The development of cutting-edge, clean agent, wet and dry chemical (waterless) fire suppression systems significantly reduces the potential for widespread damage. Fire suppression systems are found in a variety of facilities including high-hazard industrial, archive storage, medical and healthcare, restaurants, marine, fuel storage, transportation, museums, and historical sites.

Types of Systems

Encore’s engineered and pre-engineered suppression systems provide needed protection from the many unforeseen threats caused by human error all the way up to natural disasters.


Clean Agent Systems

  • Inergen (or Inert Gas) – A non-toxic system composed of natecs_cylindersurally-occurring gases that is designed to protect valuable or sensitive assets that would be otherwise damaged by conventional agents.
  • FM-200 – A waterless fire suppression system that is quickly deployed in an emergency and won’t leave behind residue, particulate, or water.
  • 3M™ Novec™ 1230 Fire Protection Fluid – A sustainable fire protection fluid and HFC alternative that works quickly, cleanly, and efficiently to help stop a fire before it starts.
  • Equipment Specific Clean Agent System – Systems such as Firetrace use clean agent to protect your high-value equipment without the cost of protecting an entire space.
  • High Pressure CO2 –This system allows for multiple discharges with minimal downtime and is often used to protect multiple spaces where there is a high risk of fire. Commonly used in manufacturing, printing, energy and chemical storage.
  • Low Pressure CO2 –This system has similar benefits to High Pressure CO2 and also give the increased ability to cover larger and even multiple hazards at the same time.
  • Halon – One of the original clean agent systems, they have the similar fire-fighting capabilities as Inergen, Novec, and FM-200, though are no longer produced due to ozone depletion caused by the agent. If you have these systems in place, it is important they are serviced by experts.
  • Aerosol Systems – This is a cost effective clean agent alternative for certain hazard areas such as elevator control and electrical rooms.
Liquid/Foam-Based Systems
  • Ansul Foam Systems – These systems discharge foam into an enclosed space, surrounding the hazard. Little water is required to generate large quantities of expanded foam, which minimizes the potential for water damage.
  • Encore also offers: Deluge, Pre-Action, and Water Mist Systems
Kitchen Systems

Kitchen fires are the number one cause of commercial fires in the United States, with 57 percent of all restaurant fires involving cooking equipment. This causes nearly a quarter-billion dollars in property damage and even more costly downtime to 8,000 eating and drinking establishments each year. Prioritizing restaurant fire safety is paramount to prevent harm to employees, customers, and property. To ensure you are up to date with local and federal regulations, while preventing interruptions to your business, Encore will work with you to design, install, and maintain a UL300-compliant kitchen suppression system that is right for you.

Additional Resources for Kitchen Fire Suppression Systems:

 Gas & Service Station Systems

Encore’s licensed technicians can develop a fire detection and suppression system that can immediately mitigate any fires at the pump and in the garage.

Service stations run a high risk of fire due to the flammable conditions that exist, with one in every 13 service stations experiencing a fire or Encore’s licensed technicians can develop a fire detection and suppression system that can immediately mitigate any fires at the

pump and in the garage.explosion each year. Many fires start in vehicle engines, or by the ignition of flammable liquids and gases, electrical failures, arcing and use of welders in the garage, and general negligence (improperly discharged sparks, cigarette smoking at the pump). Encore’s licensed technicians can develop a fire detection and suppression system that can immediately mitigate any fires at vehicles, at the pumps, or in the garage, keeping your employees and customers safe. Encore uses UL1254-compliant fuel island suppression systems, customized dry chemical solutions for garage and paint booths, and fire extinguishers throughout the site.

Featured Products:

Industrial Dry Chemical

Dry Chemical Fire Suppression systems are pre-engineered to combat fire damage in industrial applications such as paint spray booths, dip tanks, and other locations where hazardous materials may be stored.  These systems feature mechanical or electrical detection options and either ABC or BC chemical agents.

In the case of a spray booth, it is important to consider the composition of the hazardous material being applied (paint) as well as the object that is being coated. We will conduct a full hazard survey to properly identify the type of fire to be contained and the applicable regulatory codes for compliance: NFPA 17, NFPA 30, NFPA 33, and NFPA 72.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you are still unclear on the best suppression system for your facility, or whether a traditional extinguishing system may be sufficient, then you should call our team of suppression experts to discuss the full range of options that exist.

  • What are the benefits of a clean agent system vs. a traditional foam based system?
  • How frequently should a commercial kitchen hood be cleaned?
  • What are the differences between the Pyrochem Attendant I vs. II?
  • Historical or cultural centers
  • Libraries and other storage archives
  • Data centers or any computer server storage facility
  • Restaurants & Hospitality
  • Gas & Service Stations
  • Verizon Wireless
  • Electric Boat
  • New Haven Rail Yard
  • Restaurant Owners
  • Business Owners
  • Facility Managers
  • General Contractors
  • Engineers & Architects

We strive to deliver an unparalleled service experience for every customer, on every project. We want to be the singular provider for all your fire protection needs, and we want you to call us back for an encore

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