It's said out of the ground the steam rises as though the city was on the verge of boiling over! A striking image, but the subterranean geothermal energy that roars beneath your feet bears zero relation to the cause of your office, flat, or restaurant going up in flames. Bad electrical wiring, an over-excited fuse box or a stovetop left unattended – any of these things can start a fire, just like any other city in NZ 
A local fire protection specialist's first job is getting familiar with the buildings the team is responsible for. The rustic wooden lodge on the lakefront is completely unlike a crowded backpacker complex brimming with transient lodgers who have no idea where the exits are. The well-known geothermal day spas the region is known for, with a general high humidity level that would degrade a high quality fire alarm within a couple of months - each of these need very different strategies of fire protection. Fire extinguishers are generally the first thing people think of; but they aren't a "one size fits all" solution. Your hot water cylinder or your valuable data storage room really calls for a specialised, pricier extinguisher which has been designed to kill liquid or oil fires only, whereas a dry chemical extinguisher would work better in that case. Did you know it's important to remember that the restaurant kitchen at your popular backpackers hostel now ranks as a serious risk, and requires a wet chemical model designed for any liquid cooking oils should one break out (Class F)? The humble sprinkler system is rarely appreciated until it's what saves the day. The region's high mineral content result in calcification in pipework of the sprinkler system, therefore that annual flow test is a must, not a nice-to-have - it's the ultimate deterrent to financial catastrophe. Fire alarm systems are often allowed to stagnate with tests hardly ever run - money was spent, then attention moved elsewhere. Not knowing might mean a battery from a bygone era of tech has stopped working. An annual servicing will detect it all - before it escalates into anything that becomes headline news. There's also that recurring obligation that comes with owning any commercial property - your Building Warrant of Fitness (BWoF). Being caught out as you chase down the inspector last minute creates unnecessary pressure, it will typically result in the building failing inspection. A reliable contractor, however, will track every deadline, and carry out all the necessary paperwork before your BWoF deadline comes around with your landlord breathing down your neck. Never neglect arguably the weakest link in fire safety, however - your staff. Team members, for instance, with proximity that shifts spectrumfire from inches to feet to yards from any potential open flames or electrical hazards, may not know how to use the fire extinguisher, or for that matter, even release the fire blanket kept nearby. A 10 minute session on how to prevent a greasy deep-fat fryer fire causing an inferno beats all any laminated safety poster.