Annual fire alarm inspections are required by law!
Florida Fire Alarm Prevention Code requires that certain businesses have a fire alarm system installed, maintained and monitored. There is much more than just the initial fire alarm installation. Your chosen fire alarm monitoring company or fire alarm service company must provide you with annual fire alarm inspections. These annual fire alarm inspections are an important process that must be followed in order to protect life and property. Fire alarm systems are installed in hopes that they never have to be used. In the event that a fire alarm system is triggered, it’s important to know that the fire alarm will work and that the proper authorities will respond quickly.
What is done during an annual fire alarm inspection?
A Florida certified Fire Alarm Systems Agent (FASA) fire alarm technician will perform a visual inspection of all fire alarm devices including:
Manual Pull Stations also known as Manual Fire Alarm Boxes
Smoke Detectors
Heat Detectors
Heat Alarms
Supervisory Signal Devices – including Lockboxes
Duct Smoke Detectors
Waterflow Devices
Valve Tamper Switches
Gas Detectors
Strobe Devices
Horn Devices
Horn – Strobes
Speaker Strobes
Voice Evacuation Panel
Fire Alarm Panel
Battery Condition
Battery Installation Date
Remote Fire Alarm Annunciators – Fire Alarm Keypads
A visual fire alarm inspection can help the technician to determine if there is any physical damage to the devices that may cause a malfunction – either in the deliberate initiation of the fire alarm system or if the device may pose the potential for a false alarm trigger. It’s also important to ensure that no required fire alarm devices have been removed from the property.
After a thorough visual inspection, the fire alarm technician will perform a functionality test to determine that the devices are working as intended and that the fire alarm sequence of events takes place as it’s intended.
The technician will contact the alarm monitoring central station and request that the fire alarm monitoring account be placed on test. This means that while the operators will receive the signal information from the control panel, the fire department will not be dispatched.
Once the system has been placed on test, the technician will begin a functionality test by manually engaging the fire alarm pull stations, smoke detectors, heat detectors and other fire alarm initiating devices. When this action occurs, the technician will observe and document the events that follow – including the initialization of the fire alarm strobes, horn strobes, speaker strobes and other notification appliances.
During the process of the fire alarm sounding in alarm, the technician will verify that the system’s power consumption is appropriate, that the proper signal information is being transmitted to the monitoring center and that the system is able to be reset to normal.
The fire alarm technician will also test the fire alarm panel’s ability to recharge backup batteries and replace depleted back up batteries as needed.
A full fire alarm inspection report is provided to the on site property representative to be placed near the fire alarm panel and a copy is brought back to the Lane Electronics and Alarm Systems office for record keeping.
If there are any deficiencies found during the fire alarm’s visual or functionality tests the deficiencies must be reported to the proper Florida fire alarm jurisdiction along with a plan of action to repair these devices.
If you have a business in Florida that requires fire alarm system monitoring or fire alarm system inspections, reach out to Lane Electronics and Alarm Systems in Winter Park, Florida and trust your fire alarm needs to the experts!
Please use our Contact Us page for instant contact information for Lane Electronics and Alarm Systems – your Florida Fire Alarm Company!