FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS: Dos and Don’ts for Commercial Property Inspectors

Although fire protection systems are present in almost all commercial buildings, the purpose of this article is not to teach commercial property inspectors how to inspect fire protection equipment.  Rather, it provides information about periodic professional maintenance requirements, and it encourages commercial inspectors to educate their clients about some common fire protection systems.

FIRE EXTINGUISHERS

Every commercial building should have fire extinguishers. The required number and location depend on the use of the occupancy, and is determined by the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ), not by the commercial inspector. In ordinary business occupancies, extinguishers should be located so that no one has to travel farther than 75 feet to reach one. Extinguishers also should be located near exits so the individual attempting to extinguish a fire does not have to enter or go deeper into a burning building in order to get to the extinguisher.

When discussing fire extinguishers with clients, you may want to educate them about required maintenance. Fire extinguishers should be professionally inspected annually and inspected in-house monthly. The monthly in-house inspection includes checking for the following1:

As part of the annual professional inspection, the service provider will tag the extinguisher. The tag will show the date of the service, the type of service provided and the type of extinguisher inspected2. On the back of the tag, there is a space for the occupant to record monthly inspections.

Some inspectors review fire extinguisher use with their clients. The instructions are written on the side of the extinguisher; however, the acronym P.A.S.S. describes how one would use a typical extinguisher. 

P – Pull the safety pin.
A – Aim the nozzle at the base of the fire.
S – Squeeze the handle.
S – Sweep the extinguisher from side to side while aiming at the base of the fire.

Inspectors also can suggest the client contact the local fire department. Many fire departments provide fire extinguisher training for businesses in their jurisdiction.

EMERGENCY LIGHTS/EXIT SIGNS

Emergency lighting and exit signs are present in nearly every commercial occupancy and multi-family dwelling. It is not the commercial inspector’s responsibility to determine the need for these systems. That responsibility falls on the AHJ. But if emergency lights and or exit signs are present, the commercial inspector should determine if they are operating properly. The simplest way for an inspector to test emergency lights and exit signs is to press the test button. The exit light should be illuminated at all times.

Pressing the test button simulates a power outage and causes the secondary power source to illuminate the sign. The exit sign will be fully internally illuminated before the button is pressed, and after it is released, there will be only a brief flash to indicate it has switched over to the secondary power source.

Emergency lights and exit signs require documentation of two tests3. The first test is a 30-second minimum functional test, which is to be conducted monthly on every emergency lighting and exit sign. The second is an annual test that is to be conducted for 90 minutes on every emergency lighting unit and exit sign. Emergency lighting and exit signs should be fully operational for the duration of the test, with written records maintained by the owner. In order to conduct these tests, the circuit breaker protecting the emergency lighting and exit signs circuit (as with all circuits) needs to be properly labeled.

FIRE ALARMS

When inspecting a building that has a fire alarm system installed, the person performing the property inspection should not test it. Many states require that the person performing the test be licensed. However, the commercial property inspector can view the Fire Alarm Control Panel (FACP) to ensure there is a light (likely green) indicating that the FACP has AC power. This should be the only light illuminated. A light indicating “Trouble,” “Supervisory” or “Alarm” indicates that the fire alarm system and/or the building are in need of attention, and a licensed fire alarm contractor should be notified immediately. You may choose to contact the local Fire Marshal to report that a fire alarm in his/her jurisdiction does not appear to be operating properly. Advise your client that this visual inspection of the FACP should be performed in-house every day.

Every commercial property inspection gives you an opportunity to educate your client about the importance of maintaining the fire protection systems in a commercial building. Your client needs to know that a fire alarm system requires periodic maintenance. An annual inspection by a licensed contractor is required by code. You should advise your client to obtain the documentation of the previous annual maintenance inspections. The documentation should be maintained on site and should indicate the items inspected (smoke detectors, pull stations, horn/strobes, etc.), the condition they were in at the time of the inspection and any repairs made to the system. 

Photo: A Fire Alarm Control Panel (FACP).

Photo: An exit sign that requires documentation of two tests, a monthly 30-second minimal functional test and an annual 90-minute test.

FIRE SPRINKLER/STANDPIPE SYSTEMS

Similar to the fire alarm system, the fire sprinkler system may require state-licensed personnel for testing. The inspector can observe the components of the sprinkler system and, again, take the opportunity to educate the client. The maintenance requirements for a fire sprinkler system are as follows4:

Monthly – In-house maintenance personnel should verify that all control valves are in the open position.

Quarterly – In-house maintenance personnel should conduct a Main Drain Test.

Annually – Professional fire sprinkler contractor should inspect the system.

Every five years – The backflow prevention device needs to be rebuilt and the sprinkler piping requires internal inspection.

The maintenance requirements for a standpipe system are as follows4:

Monthly – In-house maintenance personnel should verify that all control valves are in the open position.

Quarterly – In-house inspection of the pressure-regulating devices, piping and hose connections.

Annually – Professional inspection of the cabinet, hose and hose-storage device, alarm device, hose nozzle and hose-storage device.

Every 5 years – Professional testing of the hose (some AHJ’s are allowing the removal of the hoses; contact the local fire department for more information), pressure-control valves and pressure-reducing valves; the standpipe system also shall have a hydrostatic test, flow test and main drain test every 5 years.

Documentation of all of the above maintenance is to be maintained on site. As with the fire alarm system, the documentation should identify what was inspected (riser, piping, hangers, sprinkler heads, etc.), the condition of each at the time of the inspection and any repairs that were performed. 

Photo: The tag on this system indicates it has been inspected and approved by a professional contractor. Components include a dry pipe valve (center), with a vertical riser to a wet system on the right.

COMMERCIAL KITCHENS

Any professional inspector who decides to perform commercial inspections eventually will need to know how to inspect commercial kitchens. Commercial kitchens exist in many commercial occupancies, not just in restaurants. As with other fire protection equipment, commercial property inspectors will not test the fire protection equipment in a commercial kitchen. Nevertheless, they should be capable of providing their clients with valuable information regarding the suppression system. For example, any system installed before November 1994 should be verified by a state-licensed contractor to be in compliance with UL-300. Systems that do not conform to UL-300 pose a significant fire hazard because as they are not capable of extinguishing fires originating in today’s hotter-burning oils.

Documented maintenance of commercial kitchen suppression systems also is necessary. Suppression systems must be serviced semi-annually by a certified firm. Service shall include the following5:

• Testing the operation of the system
• Activation of automatic fuel or power shutoffs
• Annual replacement of the fusible links
• Replaced fusible links left on site
• Suppression system service checklist – completed, signed and dated
• Completed company service tag
• Commercial cooking operations also necessitate a supplemental, handheld Class “K” fire extinguisher within 30 feet of cooking operations.

The inspector should determine if the hood system was  cleaned by a professional contractor. There should be a sticker on the exterior of the hood system indicating the next date  the system should be cleaned. If the date has passed or there is no sticker, the inspector should advise the client to have a proper inspection and cleaning performed before use.

Illustration © Ansul Incorporated. Used with permission.

Local differences

Often, local AHJs make minor adjustments to the maintenance requirements of fire protection equipment in commercial occupancies. In most communities, the AHJ is the Chief Building Official or the Fire Marshal. The local fire department is the best source for information when fire protection questions arise during the inspection of a commercial property.

Although commercial property inspectors do not inspect fire protection systems, they can cover the basics with their clients and provide valuable information about the need for additional inspections and ongoing maintenance.

References
1. University of Kansas Fire & Rescue Training Institute.
2. NFPA 10, 2007
3. NFPA 101, 2006
4. NFPA 25, 2002
5. www.halcyon.com/NAFED/HTML/UL300.html