Annual, semi-annual and quarterly fire alarm inspections, done to NFPA 72.
Annual, semi-annual and quarterly fire alarm inspections across Greater Los Angeles. Every device tested, an NFPA 72 compliant report, and the report submitted to your fire department on your behalf.
What a fire alarm inspection actually covers
NFPA 72 requires most fire alarm devices to be tested at least once a year. Some components need testing more often, and the California Fire Code allows your local fire official to require a more frequent schedule. That's why we offer annual, semi-annual and quarterly inspections, and set your schedule around your system, your occupancy type and your fire department's requirements.
A real fire alarm inspection is a device-by-device functional test, not a walkthrough. Every initiating device is actuated, every horn and strobe is checked for audibility and visibility, batteries are load-tested, the panel's alarm, supervisory and trouble reporting is confirmed end to end, and the signal path to the monitoring center is verified.
In buildings with many rooms, like hotels, that means going room to room. In the first video below, our technician works through a hotel during its annual inspection, entering guest rooms to confirm the notification devices in each room are working. In the second, a technician goes through an office building activating each manual pull station, one of the initiating devices every inspection tests.
When the inspection is done, you get an NFPA 72 compliant report listing what was tested and anything that failed, with what it takes to correct it. We then submit the report to your fire department on your behalf, using the methods your Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) accepts, so the paperwork is filed and on record instead of sitting in your inbox.
Most failures are ordinary, like a dead battery, a failed detector or a valve switch that has drifted out of position, and can be corrected quickly. We separate what has to be fixed to pass from what can reasonably wait, and we tell you which is which.
One thing we don't do is sprinkler system testing. We're licensed fire alarm contractors, not sprinkler contractors. We test the fire alarm devices that monitor your sprinkler system, such as waterflow switches, tamper switches and post indicator valve monitoring, because they report through the fire alarm panel. Testing the sprinkler system itself requires a licensed fire sprinkler contractor.
We hold CSLB C-10 and C-7 licenses and BSIS ACO certification, and we take over inspections on systems installed by other companies, including buildings where the original installer is gone or the paperwork was never handed over.
See an annual inspection in progress
Annual fire alarm inspection at a hotel: our technician goes room to room, confirming the notification devices in each guest room are working.
Testing manual pull stations: our technician activates each pull station throughout an office building.
How often does a fire alarm system need to be inspected?
NFPA 72 requires most fire alarm devices to be tested at least once a year, and some components need testing more often. Your local fire department can also require a more frequent schedule. We offer annual, semi-annual and quarterly inspections, and we track your schedule so nothing comes due by surprise.
Which inspection schedule does my building need?
It depends on what's installed in your building, your occupancy type and what your fire department requires. We review your system and your AHJ's requirements, then set your annual, semi-annual or quarterly schedule to match.
What happens during a fire alarm inspection?
We test every initiating device, verify notification appliances for audibility and visibility, load-test the batteries, confirm the panel reports alarm, supervisory, and trouble conditions correctly, and verify the signal actually reaches the monitoring center. You get a written report listing anything that failed and what correcting it involves.
Do you submit the inspection report to the fire department?
Yes. We submit your inspection report to the fire department on your behalf, using the methods your Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) accepts. You keep a copy for your records.
What's in the inspection report?
An NFPA 72 compliant report of the inspection: what was tested, the results, and any deficiencies, each described in plain language with what it takes to correct it.
What happens if our fire alarm fails inspection?
You get a deficiency report describing each failure and what it takes to correct it, so nothing is a surprise line item later. Most failures are ordinary, like a dead battery, a failed detector or a valve switch that has drifted out of position, and can be corrected quickly. We separate what has to be fixed to pass from what can reasonably wait, and we tell you which is which.
Do you test sprinkler systems?
No. We're licensed fire alarm contractors, not sprinkler contractors. We test the fire alarm devices that monitor your sprinkler system, such as waterflow switches, tamper switches and post indicator valve monitoring, because they report through the fire alarm panel. Testing the sprinkler system itself requires a licensed fire sprinkler contractor.
Do you inspect fire alarm systems in hotels?
Yes. In hotels and other buildings with many rooms, we go room to room to confirm the notification devices in each room are working, as part of the inspection.
Who is allowed to test and certify a fire alarm system in California?
Fire alarm testing has to be performed by a licensed contractor with technicians qualified on the type of system installed. We hold CSLB C-10 and C-7 licenses and BSIS ACO certification, and our technicians are trained on the panels we service. Ask any contractor for their license number before they touch your system. It is public record and takes a minute to check.
Can you take over fire alarm testing from our current company?
Yes. We take over inspection and testing on systems installed and maintained by other contractors, including buildings where the original installer is out of business or the paperwork was never handed over. We start with a full survey so we know what is actually installed, then put the system on a schedule.