What Happens During a Fire Alarm Inspection?
Your building’s fire alarm is one of its most important components. Without it, you can place yourself and your building’s occupants at increased risk during a fire event. Part of ensuring the health of your fire alarm system is performing routine inspections. But what does a fire alarm inspection actually entail, and how frequently are they needed? Kauffman Co. covers all this information and more in the sections below!
All You Need to Know About Fire Alarm Inspections
Fire alarm inspections follow the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) 72 National Fire Alarm Code, which covers the application, inspection, testing, location, performance, and maintenance of fire alarm systems. While this code establishes the minimum level of performance required by your system, it doesn’t specify how to satisfy these levels. That’s where a fire alarm inspector comes in: During your fire alarm inspection, your fire safety professional will perform a comprehensive evaluation of your entire system. This careful inspection includes:
- Audible/visual device testing
- Bell testing
- Door holder testing
- Duct detector testing
- Elevator recall testing
- Flow switch testing
- Ground fault detection circuitry testing
- Grounded field wiring testing
- Inspecting the control panel
- Inspecting the enunciator panel
- Load test of standby batteries
- Pull station testing
- Smoke detector sensitivity testing
- Tamper switch testing
- Thermal detector testing
- Verifying the monitoring connection
All findings from your fire alarm inspection will be recorded and documented by your fire safety professional. Additionally, your inspector should log the date of your last inspection so you know when to schedule your future fire alarm inspection.
When to Schedule Fire Alarm Inspections
It’s recommended that fire alarm inspections be performed at least annually; however, building managers can perform weekly inspections to catch easy-to-spot problems such as leaks, cracks, warning lights, and any obstructions that may block alarms. Building maintenance workers should also inspect the power supply to ensure the fire alarm is receiving adequate power.
The only component of your fire alarm system that does not require annual inspection is the smoke detector sensitivity. This component is tested once every two years by your fire safety professional.
Kauffman Co. for Your Fire Alarm Inspection Needs
If it’s been more than a year since your last fire alarm inspection, it’s time to ensure the safety of your building by scheduling fire alarm inspection with the professionals at Kauffman Co. With more than 35 years of industry experience, our fire protection experts provide the thorough inspection services that building managers need to ensure they remain safe in case of a fire event.
Allow our team to verify the functionality and safety of your fire alarm system by scheduling fire alarm inspection services today!
