Did you know that in 2019 over 120,000 fires occurred in non-residential structures across the US? Those include properties used for education, health care, stores, and offices. So, if you’re wondering whether fire alarm inspection for office buildings is necessary for this modern age, the answer is a resounding “yes.”
Fire alarm inspections are required for offices to remain compliant with NFPA 72. It’s a code set forth by the National Fire Protection Association to ensure fire safety. When you’re ready to learn what’s involved in a typical fire alarm inspection, so you too can remain compliant, read on.
What Does the Process of Fire Alarm Inspection for Office Buildings Entail?
Remember your days in primary school when you had to line up for fire drills? Do you recall those obnoxious, blaring alarms and flashing lights? Well, get ready to relive those moments if only for a short time.
To check fire alarms for office buildings, you must check all your fire prevention technology:
- Heat and smoke detectors
- Batteries
- Wet and dry sprinklers
- Control switches and valves
- Output activations and relays
- Tamper switches
- Flow switches
- Zones and annunciators
- Low-pressure alarms
The list is extensive and includes much more than the alarms and lights with which you may be most familiar. The first step in your fire alarm inspection happens before your technicians even enter your building. They must inform your local fire department they’re conducting a test, so the department will ignore the alarms.
Though the technician team won’t inspect your evacuation plans, the NFPA recommends that you review such plans each time you have an inspection. That’ll ensure they’re current.
What Should Your Employees Expect During the Inspection?
It’ll be an afternoon full of distractions. Alarms will ring and lights will strobe. A technician team will move through the building room by room, checking things off their list.
Fortunately, these disruptive elements will each only last a few minutes at a time. Don’t worry, though they test the sprinkler systems, they don’t need to turn them on; so, no water will come pouring down on your employees’ heads.
How Often Do You Need Inspections?
The short answer is once a year. To remain NFPA compliant, technicians must inspect your building’s fire alarm control panels, remote annunciators, alarm communication equipment, and initiating devices. Every other year, you should have the technicians also check the smoke detection device’s sensitivity and functionality.
Notice there was no mention of fire safety tips, evacuation plans, fire drills, or even fire alarm installation. Your technicians will arrive with specific goals. They leave the drilling and planning up to you.
What’s Next?
Now that you know what a fire alarm inspection for office buildings involves, you can see that it’s a simple process.
All you need to do is call, make an appointment, and warn your employees it’ll be a little noisy that day. So when you’re ready, reach out and contact your local fire alarm expert to request a quote today.
