Today, we are going to run through the typical things that happen during a fire alarm inspection:

1. Pre-test: Fire Alarm Testing Inc. will alarm a city fire chief and a property manager to coordinate a meeting together at the facility to be fire alarm tested.
2. Test Primary and Secondary Phone Lines: Once the fire alarm is activated, our team will set off the alarm using one phone line at a time.
3. Test Backup Battery: Back to the fire alarm panel, there will be a separate section dedicated to the backup batteries that will provide power in case of a loss of power.
4. Alarm Sound Testing: After activating the alarm, we will go to every floor and check if there was a sound and see if the horn strobes were lighting.
5. Pull Manual Fire Alarms: One technician will go around activating (pulling the alarms, while the other is at the panel acknowledging that the fire panel received the request, Once the alarm is activated, the technician must. Reset the panel, then the other technician will move onto the next alarm.
6. Test Heat Detectors: Heat detectors that are installed around the building need to be inspected as well. A short in the detector can send an alert to the fire alarm panel.
7. Perform Sensitivity Test: The smoke sector sensitivity test is done to make sure the smoke detectors work properly.
8. Check HVAC Shut-Off: Another part of a fire alarm inspection is to make sure that when the fire alarm is activated, the HVAC system shuts off.
9. Document Everything: For every HVAC unit, fire alarm panel heat detector, smoke detector, and manual pull station, there needs to be documentation for a few reasons:

• The property manager knows what has been inspected.
• The fire protection company knows the locations of fire instruments for the next inspection.
• Invoicing can be accurate.

Once the authorities have been notified that fire alarm inspections and testing will take place upon the facility, Fire Alarm Testing Inc. team will enter to inspect. It takes two technicians to inspect and test the fire alarms. The first technician is stationed at the fire alarm panel, while the second technician goes from floor to floor inspecting and testing the smoke detectors, fire alarm pull stations, and the fire alarm horns and strobes.

A fire alarm inspection and testing can range from an hour to a few days depending on the number of devices and complexity of the fire alarm system on any facility or building.

No, you don’t need to be around when this happens. The landlord or owner of the facility needs to be present while this happens. Preparing for a fire alarm inspection is key to developing a good working relationship with the fire inspector and gaining positive results.

Fire Alarm Testing Inc. gets an understanding of your business and local fire safety regulations, as well as state-wide and NFPA code requirements. We know the difference between what is required and what the inspector likes to see. This results in quicker resolution at a lower cost and an enhanced relationship with local inspection authorities.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has determined that fire alarm inspections need to be performed at least once a year.

The typical price for a fire alarm system inspection is based on the number of devices on the system. At minimum, it costs around $200 a year.

Fire safety inspectors ensure that equipment such as sprinkler systems, smoke alarms, fire doors, and fire alarms perform as they should.

The three main types of fire alarm monitoring systems are:

1. Ionization Smoke Alarms: These detectors are excellent at detecting fast-burning fires. These are the cheapest and cost little to purchase. They are highly sensitive to small particles of smoke produced by fast flaming fires, such as papers and wood, and will detect this type of fire before the smoke gets too thick.
2. Photoelectric (Optical) Alarms: These detectors are effective at detecting larger particles of smoke from slow-burning, smoldering fires.
3. Combination of Ionization and Photoelectric (Multi-sensor) Alarms: These are designed to be sensitive to a wide range of fires and provide a faster reaction to both fast-flaming and slow smoldering fires.

Fire alarm inspections and tests are necessary to ensure that all existing alarms are compliant with NFPA 72, the National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code. These inspections reveal areas of a building’s or facility’s fire signaling system in need of repairs or replacement.

Installing a fire alarm is one of the most prudent measures you can take to manage your fire risk. Fire alarm installation is the first step in protecting your life and a property in a fire. If you skip these essential maintenance steps, here’s what could happen:

• Most fire alarms provide information about where the fire is located to emergency responders.
• An undetected malfunction in this information delivery process could delay firefighting efforts.
• False alarms could disrupt your daily operations and needlessly dispatch fire trucks to your location, possibly resulting in fees for repeat offenses.
• The alarm could fail to go off properly in a fire, putting people’s lives at risk.
• You could be fined for failing to comply with fire safety codes.
• Your insurance carrier may reject your claim without proof of annual fire alarm inspections.
• Your liability for potential injuries or loss of life skyrockets if you neglect your fire alarm system.

Once on site, Fire Alarm Testing Inc. will conduct tests to ensure that all components of the system are in working order, including everything from fire alarm panels and strobes to fire doors and elevators.

Items to be inspected and tested includes:

• Smoke and heat detectors
• Annunciators and zones
• Batteries
• Output relays and activations
• Flow switches, tamper switch, and low-pressure alarms
• Supervised control valves and switches.

There are four different types of detectors that are used to sense the presence of fire in a property. The best way is to determine which kind is the right choice for your business or building to understand the difference between them:

1. Ionization
2. Photoelectric
3. Heat: Heat detectors work by detecting an increase in air temperature caused by flames. While these detectors have been known to trigger a few false alarms, they have a longer reaction time than other smoke detectors.
4. Combination of Ionization/Photoelectric

Most fire alarm systems typically have a life span of 8-10 years.

A comprehensive fire alarm maintenance contract and an alarm servicing plan with a company that is accredited by NFPA will help ensure you stay on the right side of the law, and your premises and staff are protected.

It is absolutely necessary to avoid any unexpected fire incidents.

The main downside to an unmonitored alarm system is that while it may deter some fire alarms and can alert you to an incident, the system won’t actually do anything to alarm any officials about the fire in your facility.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has determined that fire alarm inspections need to be performed at least once a year.

A fire alarm can provide early warning of a fire in the building, property, or facility, potentially saving residents and neighbors’ lives. It is essential to have smoke alarms rapidly detect smoke from a fire, and awaken and alert residents, so they can escape safely.

Visual inspections of fire alarm components and devices in a building may be required as frequently as once a week or infrequently as twice a year.

If you really want to go into the nitty gritty requirements of occupancy classification for a fire alarm system according to NFPA, refer here.

The basic components of a fire alarm and detection system are the ff:

• Fire alarm initiating devices.
• Fire notification devices.
• Fire alarm control panel.
• Primary power supply.
• Backup power supply.

The cost of having your fire alarm monitored is insignificant compared to the potential losses an unmonitored system could bring upon you. Losing your home or business is far costlier than installing a fire alarm system and having it monitored by professional services.

Yes, certainly! You should install both a fire alarm system and a sprinkler system to work in tandem to keep your building, data, equipment, and occupants completely protected.

It is important to carry out regular cleaning and alarm maintenance, as this will minimise the risk of nuisance beeps and false alarms and ensure your alarm is able to provide the life-saving protection it is supposed to.

Here’s how you can clean alarms:

Turn off mains power to the alarm and the green light should go out

• With the thin nozzle attachment, vacuum around the vents.
• Clean the cover using a damp cloth and dry with a lint free cloth.

Turn the mains power back on and the green light should be on.