Common misconceptions facility managers have about their fire protection programs in recognition of Building Safety Month

CINCINNATI — April 28, 2014 – To kick off the first week of Building Safety Month in May, Cintas Corporation (NASDAQ: CTAS) today announced three common misconceptions facility managers often have about their fire protection program. The first week of Building Safety Month will focus on fire safety, so the tips are designed to bring awareness to the importance of fire safety and minimize the risks of code violations, fines and potential injuries.

"Your fire protection program is one of the most important aspects of a facility manager's job," said Jamie Samide, Senior Director of Marketing, Cintas, "Unfortunately, many facility managers believe they have everything under control, when in reality they end up missing crucial elements of the program. This not only puts them at risk for fines and lawsuits, but it also puts their building occupants at risk of potential injury in the event of an emergency."

Three common misconceptions facility managers often have about their fire protection program include:

"My current fire protection program is good enough." – Facility managers often believe their fire protection programs are just fine as is. What they don't know is that their facility may have outdated fire protection equipment, or worse, equipment that doesn't work at all. Not only could this result in violations and fines after an inspection, but it also puts you and your building occupants in danger. Be proactive about your fire protection program. If you don't currently have one in place, work with a fire protection provider to assess what equipment you currently have and need.

"If my sprinkler works, there's nothing else wrong with it." – It's often believed that if fire protection equipment, such as a fire sprinkler, is working then there aren't any other issues with it. However, in the case of a sprinkler, it may work correctly, but could have other issues such as problems with valves opening and closing, corroded pipes or painted sprinkler heads. All of these issues would render the equipment noncompliant. Equipment should be inspected regularly to ensure each component of the fire safety system is in proper working order and code compliant. A certified technician will check your equipment for all possible code violations and help you track key inspection and maintenance dates.

"I don't handle our fire protection program. The building owner takes care of everything." – Some facility managers don't realize that they are the ones in charge of the building's fire protection program. It is not unheard of for a building owner to handle a building's fire protection program, but it will most likely be your responsibility. Make sure it is clear who is in charge to avoid the possibility of having an ineffective or nonexistent fire protection program.

In addition to supporting National Building Safety Month, Cintas is also a proud supporter of the United States Fire Association's (USFA) "Fire is Everyone's Fight" campaign. This campaign strives to raise awareness of the importance of fire safety and prevention and provides resources and information to the public in an effort to reduce the risk of fire.

"At Cintas, we truly do believe that fire is everyone's fight," said Samide, "We believe it's important to educate our customers on proper fire prevention and safety procedures in addition to ensuring their facilities are properly equipped and code compliant. Working together to address the needs of a successful fire protection program is the best way to prevent potential risks and keep everyone safe."

For more information on Cintas' fire protection services for businesses, please visit https://www.cintas.com/Fire

About Cintas Corporation:
Headquartered in Cincinnati, Cintas Corporation provides highly specialized services to businesses of all types primarily throughout North America. Cintas designs, manufactures and implements corporate identity uniform programs, and provides entrance mats, restroom cleaning and supplies, tile and carpet cleaning, promotional products, first aid, safety, fire protection products and services and document management services for more than 1 million businesses. Cintas is a publicly held company traded over the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol CTAS and is a component of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index.