Is Alliance Fire Alarms a California based Licensed fire alarm contractor?

YES. AFA has been installing fire alarm systems for many years. Any time you would like to check the status of any contractor in California, you can go to the following link, enter in the contractor’s name or license # to get current status.
www.cslb.ca.gov

How do I choose a fire alarm contractor ?

First thing is to make sure they are licensed, insured and a UL listed service company. This is required in most jurisdictions. Your home or business is a big investment so don’t risk it by hiring a fire alarm contractor who's unlicensed because he's uninsured. If something did go wrong with their work and you had property damage, you would then have to pay out the money to repair their work plus the repair of any property damage. Don’t risk it !

Why should UL Listed products & service companies be important to you?

More and more local authorities having jurisdiction, building owners, insurance companies and risk managers are requiring life safety systems be installed, serviced and monitored by UL listed service companies. This helps ensure UL listed equipment is installed, serviced & monitored for the application for which it was listed. See your local AHJ and codes for any requirements. AFA is a UL listed service company # S24311-1

Why Should I consider having carbon monoxide detectors?

Although the popularity of carbon monoxide (CO) alarms has been growing in recent years, it cannot be assumed that everyone is familiar with the hazards of carbon monoxide poisoning in the home.
Often called the silent killer, carbon monoxide is an invisible, odorless, colorless gas created when fuels (such as gasoline, wood, coal, natural gas, propane, oil, and methane) burn incompletely. In the home, heating and cooking equipment that burn fuel are potential sources of carbon monoxide. Vehicles or generators running in an attached garage can also produce dangerous levels of carbon monoxide.

Facts & figures.

The dangers of CO exposure depend on a number of variables, including the victim's health and activity level. Infants, pregnant women, and people with physical conditions that limit their body's ability to use oxygen (i.e. emphysema, asthma, heart disease) can be more severely affected by lower concentrations of CO than healthy adults would be.
A person can be poisoned by a small amount of CO over a longer period of time or by a large amount of CO over a shorter amount of time.
In 2005, U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated 61,100 non-fire CO incidents in which carbon monoxide was found, or an average of seven such calls per hour. The number of incidents increased 18 percent from 51,700 incidents reported in 2003. This increase is most likely due to the increased use of CO detectors, which alert people to the presence of CO.

Which type of smoke detectors should I use?

The two most commonly recognized smoke detection technologies are ionization smoke detection and photoelectric smoke detection.
Ionization smoke detection is generally more responsive to flaming fires.
How they work: Ionization-type smoke alarms have a small amount of radioactive material between two electrically charged plates, which ionizes the air and causes current to flow between the plates. When smoke enters the chamber, it disrupts the flow of ions, thus reducing the flow of current and activating the alarm.
Photoelectric smoke detection is generally more responsive to fires that begin with a long period of smoldering (called “smoldering fires”).
How they work: Photoelectric-type alarms aim a light source into a sensing chamber at an angle away from the sensor. Smoke enters the chamber, reflecting light onto the light sensor; triggering the alarm.
For each type of smoke alarm, the advantage it provides may be critical to life safety in some fire situations. Home fatal fires, day or night, include a large number of smoldering fires and a large number of flaming fires. You can not predict the type of fire you may have in your home or when it will occur. Any smoke alarm technology, to be acceptable, must perform acceptably for both types of fires in order to provide early warning of fire at all times of the day or night and whether you are asleep or awake.
The best evidence has always indicated that either type of smoke alarm will provide sufficient time for escape for most people for most fires of either smoldering or flaming type. However, research is ongoing, and standards are living documents. If at any time, research points to a different conclusion, then that will lead to proposals for changes in the NFPA standard or the closely related Underwriters Laboratories standard for testing and approving smoke alarms. Both organizations currently have task groups looking at smoke alarm performance in the current home environment.
For best protection, use both types of smoke alarm technologies
For best protection, it is recommended both (ionization and photoelectric) technologies be in homes. In addition to individual ionization and photoelectric alarms, combination alarms that include both technologies in a single device are available.

See your local AHJ and codes for any requirements.