We have all heard the phrase ?an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.? Security and fire prevention professionals across the country can attest to this as they routinely see losses in the tens of thousands of dollars that could have been prevented with the installation of a surge protection device.

Fire alarm and other life safety and security system failures often are the result of power surges caused by events such as lightning strikes on unprotected systems. Schools, businesses, hotels and many other businesses are subject to a large number of lightning strikes and —without proper protection— these strikes can wreak havoc with daily operations and budgets.

In one case, a Florida school district spent over two million dollars repairing and replacing fire alarm systems that were damaged or destroyed by transient surges. Once surge protection was installed on the fire alarm systems, the trouble alerts and extensive maintenance repair costs the school district had previously experienced were eliminated.

In another example, a power surge forced an unprotected Orlando resort to maintain a ?fire watch?, meaning a fire truck was permanently stationed in their main parking area. The final price tag of the damage was $320,000.00 and 17 days of interrupted operations. An $8,000.00 investment in surge protection on the resort?s fire alarm, power and network systems ensured the problem would not be repeated.

Prevention is both easy and cost-effective. If you are responsible for an important electronic system, it makes sense to speak with a surge protection expert who can review your situation and make suitable recommendations.