Fire Protection Questions We Hear Most

Short answers to the questions building owners, managers and restaurant operators ask us most. For anything specific to your building, send us a note or call (760) 322-0995.

Fire extinguishers

How often do extinguishers have to be serviced?

Once a year by a licensed company, which leaves a new tag on each unit. In between, someone on site should look at them monthly: needle in the green, pin and tamper seal intact, nothing parked in front.

Someone used an extinguisher for a second. Is it still good?

No. Any discharge, however short, means it needs recharging before it can be counted on. Call us and we will swap or recharge it.

What is a hydrostatic test?

A pressure test of the cylinder itself, done on a schedule that depends on the extinguisher type, to prove the shell can still hold pressure safely. We keep those dates on file for every unit we service.

Fire sprinklers

What inspections does a sprinkler system need?

Quarterly checks of gauges, valves and alarm devices, an annual inspection with flow testing, and a five-year internal inspection and certification that California requires to be documented by a licensed company.

Will a sprinkler test set off our alarm?

The flow test is meant to. We agree a time with you first and notify the monitoring company before we start, so nobody is dispatched.

Fire alarms

Our panel is beeping. Is that a fire?

A steady trouble tone usually is not. It points to a fault such as a low battery, a failed detector or a lost connection to the monitoring station. Leave the power on and call us to find the cause.

Do you monitor alarm systems?

Yes. We set up central station monitoring so an alarm is reported around the clock, and we test that signals arrive during every annual inspection.

Kitchen hood suppression

How often does a hood system need service?

Every six months. The visit covers the agent cylinder, nozzles, detection line and fusible links, the pull station and the fuel shut-off.

Is that the same as hood cleaning?

No. A cleaning company removes grease from the hood and ducts. We service the system that puts a fire out. Your inspector will want records of both.

We moved our fryer. Does that matter?

Yes. Each nozzle is aimed at a specific appliance, so adding, removing or moving anything under the hood means the nozzles need reworking.

Scheduling and records

Can one visit cover more than one system?

Yes, and it usually should. We schedule extinguishers, sprinklers, alarms and hood systems together where the intervals line up, and you get one set of reports.

What do I show the fire inspector?

The current tags on the equipment and the written reports we leave after each visit. If you cannot find a report, call us and we will send a copy.