Emergency Equipment Maintenance

By Gregory Havel
Photos by author except where noted

Building codes require the installation of emergency equipment and systems for the protection of the building’s occupants and visitors. Fire and life safety codes require that these systems and equipment be inspected, tested, and maintained according to schedules outlined in these codes or in the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) codes and standards they incorporate by reference. Unfortunately, much of this equipment and many of these systems receive little attention from the owner after acceptance testing and issuance of the occupancy permit. 

NFPA 1, Fire Code; NFPA 101, Life Safety Code; and other NFPA codes and standards require periodic inspection and testing of the following:

Codes and the “authority having jurisdiction” (AHJ) allow the building owner or manager to conduct and document monthly status checks and tests, with correction of any defects by a certified and/or licensed person or contractor. The quarterly and annual maintenance required by some appliances and systems will need the services of a qualified contractor, whereas others may be completed by the owner or manager.

 

(1) A.26.1: “Reproduced with permission from NFPA 13-2010, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems, Copyright© 2009, National Fire Protection Association. This reprinted material is not the complete and official position of the NFPA on the referenced subject, which is represented only by the standard in its entirety.”

The maintenance schedule for automatic fire sprinkler systems from NFPA 13-2010 Annex A, is shown in photo 1. The owner can complete and document daily, weekly, and monthly inspections. The tests required quarterly, annually, and at other intervals are more complicated and should be performed only by qualified persons or contractors, who are required to be licensed in many states.

The owner can complete and document the monthly inspection of portable fire extinguishers. NFPA 10-2010, section 7.2.2 requires that these items be included in a monthly inspection:

These inspections must be documented on tags (photos 2, 3) or forms meeting the requirements of section 7.2.4. Certified persons or contractors, who are required to be licensed in many states, must perform annual and other maintenance, as required in section 7.1.2.1.

(2)

(3)

The testing and maintenance requirements for emergency and exit lights are outlined in NFPA 101-2009, section 7.9.3:

Other sections of NFPA 101-7.9.3 cover emergency and exit lights that are powered by generators or other power sources in place of batteries or that are equipped with monitoring systems. Emergency light fixture manufacturers recommend replacement of backup power batteries at intervals ranging from three to five years, depending on the type of battery and fixture.

 

The testing and maintenance requirements for other life safety systems and equipment can be found in the corresponding NFPA codes and standards.

 

Blank forms for documenting monthly, quarterly, and annual inspections of emergency equipment and systems can be obtained from equipment manufacturers, maintenance contractors, insurance companies, state agencies, and from the Web sites of the NFPA and other fire-related organizations. 

The status of monthly inspection, testing, and maintenance of fire protection systems and equipment must be included in fire inspections, including a review of the owner’s documentation. The completion of these items must be noted on the fire inspection form. See NFPA 1031, Professional Qualifications for Fire Inspector and Plan Examiner, 2009 edition, section 4.3, especially sections 4.3.5, 4.3.6, and 4.3.7. These sections require that the inspector determine the operational readiness of existing fixed fire suppression systems, fire detection and alarm systems, and portable fire extinguishers using test documentation and field observations to determine that the systems are operational, that maintenance is documented so that deficiencies identified are documented and reported as required by codes, standards, and the AHJ.

Our public fire education programs can promote to building owners and managers the documenting of the testing and maintenance of these types of life safety systems and equipment. When combined with a review of documentation by our fire inspectors, this can reduce the risk of injury or property damage by fire at these locations. Since properly maintained life safety systems reduce the risk of fire, this, in turn, can reduce the risk of injury to firefighters since they will be less likely to respond to an incident at that location.

 

Gregory Havel is a member of the Burlington (WI) Fire Department; a retired deputy chief and training officer; and a 30-year veteran of the fire service. He is a Wisconsin-certified fire instructor II and fire officer II, an adjunct instructor in fire service programs at Gateway Technical College, and safety director for Scherrer Construction Co., Inc. Havel has a bachelor’s degree from St. Norbert College; has more than 30 years of experience in facilities management and building construction; and has presented classes at FDIC. 

 

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Subjects: Building construction for firefighters