The Importance of Planning for Fire Protection in a Fast-Paced Industry

Fire Protection systems are expensive systems that the client pays for but never wants to operate. Is this a reason for why we have become known as the forgotten service?

Due to being contracted into projects late and immediately under a lot of pressure to deliver our service as a result of a compressed schedule, there are so many opportunities for a contract to suffer at the hands of poor planning and communication.

Did you know that contracting Ahern early will allow you the ability to schedule design right through to handover while also having the confidence that the local AHJ has given full approval for the proposed installation before a pipe ever gets to site?

Benjamin Franklin once said: “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.”

This unforgiving industry requires us to be very efficient with our planning of a project and communication with all parties.


Ahern has implemented a number of processes to ensure internally that all projects are handed over to each department efficiently and effectively. Once sales has indicated that a project has been awarded, a design kick-off meeting is scheduled. This is a formal meeting where the sales team briefs the design team on the project and an open forum discussion is had in order to meet all of the specific requirements of the project.

After the handover to design, introductions are made between the client/GC and the full project team by the design administration. We do this to provide our client with the confidence that their project has been fully resourced and they have all of the contact information for each person who will participate in the roll out of the project.

Our design and project management teams, while liaising with the client/GC’s project staff, will identify a full timeline and construction schedule for the entire project, design through commissioning, and handover. This gives both our internal team and the client full visibility on all tasks which we will be completing and when we complete them. In order for us to accurately create this schedule, we look for a number of key milestones from the GC’s and other MEP trades’ schedules so we can identify our pipe on site dates, access and completion in various areas, commissioning dates, testing, and even down to site clearance. Once we have established the key milestones for site attendance, we can then plan back to allow us to schedule for initial design, internal peer reviews, submittal of our proposal to the city and the GC for approval, coordination, and issue for internal fabrication.


Ahern should not be overlooked because we are partners in successful planning. The next time you are thinking about a project, make sure you are planning for success.

If you want to experience working with a company who prides themselves on top tier communication & planning, please contact us today. We are a qualified and highly respected leader in the fire protection industry and we are ready to partner with you today to inspect and service your fire sprinkler, fire suppression and fire alarm systems.

Ask us about integrating your fire alarm systems to an existing or new building control system. Ahern has the expertise and resources you need to create the most effective controls system possible. 

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