Inspection & Testing
Fire Alarm Inspection in Sacramento, CA
Annual inspection and NFPA 72 testing of commercial fire alarm systems, by certified technicians, with the documentation your authority having jurisdiction asks for.
Fire alarm inspections
Fire alarm systems are only effective if they are properly taken care of with annual inspections.
The standard for fire alarm systems is NFPA 72, the National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code. NFPA 72 sets the requirements for fire alarm system inspection and testing. This standard includes the frequencies for inspection and testing of each component of the alarm system, and also requires that inspections are performed by a qualified professional. Typically fire alarm systems need to be inspected on an annual basis. Most state and local jurisdictions have adopted NFPA 72 as the requirement for alarm inspections.
In California, NFPA 72 does not stand alone. The California Fire Code and Title 19 add a state-level overlay, and your local authority having jurisdiction — the fire district that signs off on your building — can ask for more than the minimum. That is why two buildings a few miles apart can be held to different expectations for the same panel. We work to the code and to what your AHJ actually wants to see, and we work for you: our job is to help you achieve and maintain compliance, not to enforce anything on anyone's behalf.
Our certified technicians will perform inspections to ensure that your system is compliant with NFPA 72. We can inspect the alarm system of any public building and have experience working with many industries such as commercial, historical, industrial and institutional facilities.
A fire alarm inspection consists of
A fire alarm inspection requires two technicians: one at the fire alarm control panel and a second technician checking all attached components for operability. We test all of the components of the fire alarm system and visually make sure that they are in proper working condition.
The components that need to be inspected and tested include the:
- Fire alarm control panel
- Horns and strobes
- Manual pull stations
- Smoke detectors
- Fire doors
Every device is tested individually and verified at the panel, so the record reflects what the system actually did — not what it was supposed to do on paper.
Maintenance and repairs
Even the best systems need a little upkeep now and again, and you don't want to trust your entire company to poorly serviced alarms. As we offer the best commercial fire safety inspection in Sacramento, CA, we offer testing, fire protection services and commercial fire alarm repairs for every system we sell and most other alarms on the market.
Our professional technicians will thoroughly examine your central unit and all connected devices, leaving you confident in your protection every time we visit. Most importantly, we can catch and deal with any issues that exist before they become critical liabilities — a weak battery, a detector at the end of its life, or a communicator that stopped reporting months ago and nobody noticed.
That last one is worth calling out. If your panel still reports over a copper phone line, that line is being retired, and a system that cannot reach the central station is a system that is not protecting anything. Here is what the POTS sunset means for your monitoring.
Inspection Questions
Fire alarm inspection FAQs
How often does a commercial fire alarm need inspection?
Typically fire alarm systems need to be inspected on an annual basis. NFPA 72 sets the frequencies for inspection and testing of each component, and some components are on a more frequent schedule than the system as a whole. Most state and local jurisdictions have adopted NFPA 72 as the requirement for alarm inspections, and your authority having jurisdiction may ask for more. Call (916) 970-0199 with your building type and we will tell you what applies to you.
What happens if I failed a fire inspection or received a correction notice?
Bring us the notice. A correction notice lists what the inspector found and gives you a date to fix it by. We read the notice, inspect the system to find out what is actually wrong, correct the items that fall under the fire alarm scope, and give you the documentation showing the work was done and tested so you can close it out with your authority having jurisdiction.
How long does a fire alarm inspection take?
It depends on device count, not square footage. A small suite with one panel and a dozen devices is a short visit. A multi-storey building with several hundred devices takes longer, because every device gets individually tested and verified at the panel. We give you an estimate up front once we know what is installed.
Do you inspect systems that another company installed?
Yes. We offer testing, fire protection services and commercial fire alarm repairs for every system we sell and most other alarms on the market. If nobody has documented what is in your building for a few years, that documentation is the first thing we produce.
Related services
Installation
New construction, tenant improvements, system replacements and added devices — tested before we hand it over.
Fire alarm installation →Repairs
Trouble signals, ground faults, failed devices, dead batteries and aging panels, diagnosed at the cause.
Fire alarm repair →Monitoring
Central station monitoring so an alarm or a fault actually reaches someone, over cellular or IP.
Fire alarm monitoring →Due for an annual inspection?
Contact us today for a free consultation for an annual fire alarm inspection. Call or email us for an appointment.