Doesn’t the fire department test my fire hydrant?

The fire dept only tests the fire hydrants inside the public easement (typically 6-12ft from public roads). All other hydrants on the property are the responsibility of the property owner. In the case of a failure of the hydrant not operating correctly, the owner is liable for this failure. Fire hydrants are just as important as a fire sprinkler system.

 

The fire department just wrote me up for discrepancies, what do I do now?

The fire department (or authority having jurisdiction) has a responsibility to ensure that businesses are up to code on their fire protection systems.  During their visual inspection they will also ask you to provide the latest reports showing that you are up to date with the annual or semi-annual inspections required by the NFPA.  If you are not, they may write you up with a deadline to bring the discrepancies up to date.  At that point, please give Life & Property Safety a call and send us a copy of the write up so that we may give you a free estimate to bring you back up to code.

 

The water department mailed me a letter that my backflow prevention assembly is due for its annual test – can you provide that service?

Yes!  We have certified backflow technicians on staff that can test your prevention assembly.  Just fax or email us a copy of your letter.  We can test and/or repair any backflow device and you need not be present during the test, unless the device is under a locked hot box or bag.  In addition to the test, we also provide a copy of the test results to your water department on your behalf.

 

What is a backflow prevention assembly?

A backflow is a valve on your water line that makes sure any water that comes into your building won’t go back out into the public water system. They are most commonly found on your domestic (drinking) water line, your irrigation and your fire sprinkler line. A building could have one or many.

 

What is involved in a fire extinguisher inspection?

Fire extinguishers are generally your first line of defense against a fire, so it is important to keep up with the inspections so that they are ready to go.  There are two types of inspections required by the NFPA or the AHJ:
  • Annual Maintenance. An annual inspection of each of your extinguishers by a licensed professional is required by the majority of local AHJs.  This requires a more thorough visual inspection, as well as a physical inspection.  If the unit is in good condition and does not need any additional service, such as a recharge, 6-year maintenance or hydrostatic test, then a new tag will be applied to it by the licensed technician showing that it passed its annual inspection and when the next annual inspection is due.
  • 6-Year maintenance and hydrostatic testing. The most common fire extinguisher is the ABC extinguisher and they require internal maintenance every 6 years and hydrostatic testing every 12 years.

 

How often am I required to get an inspection on my fire protection system?

Inspections are required by your AHJ by a licensed professional on almost every type of fire protection system (fire alarm, fire sprinkler, fire extinguisher, fire pump, fire suppression, etc.).  The frequency varies based on the type of system being inspected and sometimes by the manufacturer’s recommendations or the individual components that make up the system.  It is safe to assume that your system(s) is on an annual inspection schedule, with a couple of exceptions, such as a kitchen fire suppressions and dry chemical suppression system, which are on a semi-annual schedule.  Often times a system will also require a more thorough inspection, test or maintenance schedule that are due at certain intervals of its life (for example, at 5 years, 10 years, 12 years, etc.).  These inspections are more involved than the standard annual inspections.  Because this can be a very confusing industry to navigate, we encourage you to call Life & Property Safety to answer any of your questions relating to the service of your fire protection system.

 

What fire protection services do you offer?

We primarily offer services that include inspections, testing, maintenance and repair on all types of fire protection systems.  We also offer testing and repairs on backflow prevention devices.  Please call to schedule a free estimate of servicing all your fire protection systems and backflow devices!

 

Do you offer monitoring services?

Yes, we offer fire alarm monitoring to commercial businesses.  We currently do not offer security monitoring.