Fire protection is the study of mitigating the effects of fire. It is also the study of behaviour, compartmentalisation, suppression and investigation of fire and its emergencies. Protecting a business from fire can be approached from a few fundamental principles. There is passive fire protection which involves using fire resistant wall and floor materials that compartmentalise the fire. This is a strategy of building such that if a fire breaks out in one room, the materials used in the construction of the rooms will prevent it from spreading to other rooms.
Another principle in fire protection is that of active fire protection which can be manual or automatic. In basic terms, this principle involves the detection and suppression of fires by mainly using fire sprinklers and other fire fighting devices. The education of business owners and employees on fire codes and fire safety plans is critical in the protection of any business premises in that it helps everybody in the organisation to know what they need to do in the case of a fire. This is accomplished in the form of fire drills.
Security, on the other hand, is defined as the degree of protection against danger, damage, loss and crime. It also involves the structures and processes that provide and improve security. Just like fire protection, security is also divided into three categories. Obstacles are the starting point in protecting a business from some form of danger. These are things like spikes, electric fences and walls that are meant to frustrate trivial attackers and to delay serious ones.
Detection systems which are meant to ensure that trespassers are noticed or identified can also be used. These include the use of surveillance systems like alarms, security lighting, security guards and closed circuit television. The final area in the provision of security for businesses is the security response which is usually aimed at the serious offenders who have gone past the other barriers. The use of security response is to repel, catch or frustrate attackers as soon after the attack is identified as possible. Examples are panic buttons and armed reaction units.
