Fire Protection System Inspection Requirements

Fire protection system inspection requirements differ by system. Each guide below lists what you check, what a technician tests, how often each task is due and the records to keep.

• Fire sprinklers

  Gauges, valves, heads and the five-year internal check

  Weekly to every 5 years
• Fire alarms

  Panels, detectors, pull stations and notification devices

  Most devices annually
• Fire extinguishers

  Monthly checks, annual service and hydrostatic tests

  Monthly and annually
• Kitchen hoods and suppression

  Hood and duct cleaning plus wet chemical system service

  Monthly to annually by cooking volume
• Emergency and exit lighting

  Monthly function tests and the annual full-duration test

  Monthly and annually
• Backflow preventers

  Testing set by your water utility and state

  Usually annually
• Fire pumps

  Run tests and annual flow tests

  Weekly or monthly, plus annually
• Special hazard suppression

  Clean agent and other engineered systems

  Semiannually

Requirements depend on the code edition your state and local fire marshal have adopted. Confirm with your authority having jurisdiction.