For over 70 years, AAA Fire Protection has remained the Northwest’s most trusted name in fire protection. Based in Seattle, Washington, this family-owned business serves over 12,000 customers every year, and remains one of the most respected companies in the industry.
From testing to inspection, preventative maintenance to repairs and improvements, AAA is there to ensure fire protection systems work if and when they are needed. And in case of an emergency, AAA’s dedicated fleet of highly trained, fully licensed technicians are ready when clients need them.
Unlike some companies with limited offerings, AAA Fire Protection’s services are comprehensive and include fire alarm systems, fire sprinkler systems, kitchen/restaurant systems, and much more. From emergency lights and exit signs to fire escape inspections, fire hose inspections, and fire hydrant testing, customers count on AAA’s friendly, prompt, and professional services.
“We are a full-service fire protection company,” says AAA’s CEO and President Mary Krinbring. “Unlike a lot of our competitors, we don’t sub any of our work. Everyone says they are ‘full service,’ but if you look under the hood, they subbed their sprinklers or their alarms, because they don’t hold those licenses or have the technicians.” In fact, the only area of the business AAA subcontracts is fire escapes, which it leaves to other experts.
The origins of AAA Fire Protection stretch back to 1954. The company operated under its previous owners until it was purchased by Mary’s father, Brian Krinbring, 40 years ago. Brian headed AAA for decades until Mary came on board in 2014. Three years later, Brian retired, and Mary became CEO and President. Today, Brian serves as Chairman of AAA’s board, which includes his wife and Mary’s mother Susan Mickey, and an outside advisor who was a banker for the business. For a time, one of Mary’s uncles worked for the company.
“It was a good transition,” says Mary, who had majored in Business and Managerial Studies at the University of Redlands and worked at well-known companies including Nordstrom and Amazon before joining AAA Fire Protection. Realizing the importance of a succession plan—and seeing his daughter’s enthusiasm for the fire protection industry—Brian welcomed Mary to the company.
While working at Amazon as a toy buyer, Mary learned a lot about using data to make decisions. Bringing her business experience to the company, she immediately set about modernizing the company. This included moving from old-school tools like typewriters and triplicate carbon copies to computers and technology like SAS software for business intelligence and data management, which really changed the company’s growth pattern. Mary also introduced ServiceTrade to the business. A software platform used by fire, mechanical, and commercial HVAC companies, it was a bit of a transition for technicians who had never used an iPhone before.
From there, Mary managed the company’s fire extinguisher and suppression business—comprising kitchen suppression and vehicle suppression and pre-engineered suppression—then moved into operations and overseeing general operations as she trained under her father. COVID-19 forced Brian to work at home instead of in the office, which also helped with transitioning him into his new role as Chairman.
At present, AAA is in the process of filing nationally (not just in in Washington State) to become a woman-owned business, since Mary and her mother Susan own more than 51 percent of the company.
Founded on honesty and professionalism, the company continues to grow. Along with its other services, AAA is also the top local CO2 tank refill resource in Washington. Since the company was founded, it has operated a retail counter from its Fremont neighborhood corporate office. “Our shop is DOT [U.S. Department of Transportation] certified for cylinder testing and maintenance and our staff is happy to make recommendations regarding the care or replacement of your equipment,” says the company.
Providing refills in just minutes, AAA fills tanks, paintball cylinders, and beer kegerators on the spot. For customers needing fire extinguisher refills, AAA is on hand to make property visits. Depending on client needs, on-site services can include fire extinguisher maintenance and inspections, and with decades of combined experience, the AAA team can determine if customers have the right number of fire extinguishers and if they meet local and state fire codes, accounting for placement and signage, match type, and cabinetry and mounting.
Backed by a team of trained field technicians, estimators and project managers, clients know they can count on AAA Fire Protection every time. “All of our technicians hold their electrical licenses, or journeyman hold state certifications, city certifications, or national certifications,” says Mary. “It’s one of the pillars that’s really important to us.”
For customers, there are numerous advantages to working with AAA Fire Protection, including its maintenance, inspection, and installation services. It is simple to request a quote online for a range of services, including repairs, fire sprinklers, fire alarms, kitchen suppression, extinguishers, monitoring, and many others.
On the maintenance side, AAA’s trained team regularly handles common fire extinguishers like ABC Dry Chemical—which needs total deconstruction every six years—and even rare types of extinguishers. When it comes to inspections, AAA Fire Protection’s licensed technicians perform 10-point fire extinguisher inspections, as required by the state. “This process takes less than 10 minutes but is critical to maintaining compliance with state codes and preventing future malfunctions,” says the company. And along with distributing many of the biggest brands like Ansul, Buckeye, Opal, Badger, and Amerex, AAA can acquire and install other brands upon customer request. A Potter Electric fire alarm dealer, AAA will also install over-the-counter products like Silent Night or Fire-Lite.
The team will install kitchen suppression systems and vehicle suppression systems for new construction or tenant improvements. “In new construction spaces, we will often provide fire extinguisher cabinets and extinguishers for a lot of builders and DC construction companies for their products,” says Mary, and the company also performs re-piping for commercial kitchens to suit whatever the chef needs.
In fact, one of the busier sides of the business is tenant improvement projects. “If someone is expanding their space, we can add fire alarm devices, change their fire alarm, or upgrade their fire alarm system if their current fire alarm can support an additional number of devices or capabilities,” she explains.
Crucially, AAA provides its services to customers not only on land, but also on water. The company’s marine fire systems testing technicians are on hand 24/7 to ensure clients are in compliance with regulations and to ensure equipment such as sprinklers and marine fire extinguishers is in top working order.
On land, AAA’s experienced team provides power generation testing, shaft pressurization testing and annual certification, standpipe testing, and many other valuable services. These include internal sprinkler pipe inspection, checking pressure reducing valves (PRVs), and even areas some may not think of, such as paint booths.
A service that needs to be performed on a recommended semi-annual basis, paint booths use exhaust and intake filters, fans, belts, mechanical systems, and electronics. AAA Fire Protection’s comprehensive paint booth testing process “includes tripping the system through the link line and pull system, replacing the links, verifying that all piping and conduits are secure and tight, verifying that all nozzles are in the proper positions (with specified caps), verifying that all electrical items work correctly, and verifying that the system reports to the fire alarm panel, if one exists,” says the company.
Another important service AAA provides is backflow testing. Water in pipes is meant to move in one direction, and backflow refers to water going in reverse. This can prove disastrous, since fresh water can be contaminated, resulting in health risks. To ensure this doesn’t happen, AAA provides certified backflow preventer testing to industrial, commercial, and multi-family properties in Seattle, Bellevue, Kent, and Everett.
“We handle annual testing, repairs, and certification reports for full compliance with Washington State and local water districts,” states the company. “Backflow testing is a relatively quick process—often, it takes our team only 10 minutes to complete.” Professionally assessing backflow assemblies for fire sprinklers, irrigation systems, and domestic pipe systems, AAA’s technicians ensure backflow preventers are maintained or repaired if needed to ensure they are in compliance. “We’ll even file backflow test reports on your behalf, to keep your system in good standing with the city.”
To ensure quality and professionalism in all its services, AAA Fire Protection seeks the best candidates for the job. These include specialists in fire sprinkler inspection, fire alarm repair, fire extinguisher inspection, fire sprinkler inspection, and other key services. And to ensure opportunities exist, the company invests in developing apprentice technicians to serve the fire protection needs of customers today and long into the future.
For Mary Krinbring and the entire team, AAA isn’t solely about fire protection but being an important part of the community. Along with sponsoring regional Little League teams, the company recently created a Share Board. Employee-led, the Board invites employee input on charities for AAA to support and highlights local volunteer opportunities.
“It’s our opportunity to give back,” says Mary. The company has supported animal rescues and WestSide Baby, which supplies low-income families with clothing, diapers, formula, and other necessities for children. Every month, the Board also finds opportunities for hands-on staff involvement, like having a team lunch where AAA employees put together snack packs for kids for after-school needs. Recently, the company did a back-to-school supply drive.
“We really try to formalize our charitable giving so we have more of a focused effort,” says Mary. “And we survey our employees to find out what they are interested in supporting, and that helps guide the Board on their decisions. Then they bring the charities to me, and we select them. We hope to continue to grow that program to have an even bigger impact on our community. We are in fire alarm safety, and are out in our community a lot, and want to give back in an even bigger way.”
In the coming years, Mary sees AAA continuing to grow its fire alarm installation business and expand its market share in western Washington, which means adding additional technicians. Since she came to the company, AAA has gone from about $5 million to over $20 million in revenue, and from 30 technicians to over 60; today, the company sits at around 100 employees.
“We have no plans of slowing down growth, and we’ve been working with a strategic planning consultant to map out three- to five-year growth plans, scale with growth, and ensure our processes are set.”
The market for fire protection in Seattle and western Washington is changing; in the past, many companies were family-owned, but in the last few years, private equity firms and national companies have been buying up many of AAA’s competitors. AAA, conversely, is proud of its organic growth. “When I first started, my uncle worked here, and I remember him saying, ‘Well, when we get to 50 employees, we need to have [a] Human Resources [department],’ Mary shares. “We talked about that for a long time, and here we are now, past 100 employees. That’s something we are proud of, and we want to keep growing. Since I took over, we’ve grown the company by about 400 percent.”
For AAA Fire Protection, that growth reflects a legacy of integrity, family values, and a relentless focus on customer safety. As the company looks to the future, Mary Krinbring and her team remain committed to the same principles that have guided AAA for over seven decades: keeping people safe, supporting the community, and delivering dependable service that clients can trust.
