Jerry Razwick is founder and president of Technical Glass Products (TGP), a distributor of specialty glass and framing as well as architectural products. He has been a glass factory agent in foreign and domestic markets for over 25 years. In addition, he has served on the Industry Advisory Committee for Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. and is an active member of AIA, CSI, NGA and GANA.
Everyone agrees that sprinklers and alarms save lives and dramatically reduce the risks associated with fire. There is no question that they should be installed strategically and widely. However, sprinklers and alarms only address two issues: how to detect fires and how to suppress them. And if they are anything less than 100 percent effective, it is critical to also have systems in place to aid in the compartmentation of the fire and smoke.