Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance
The Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance domain covers NFPA 72 Chapter 14 and the administrative discipline around it. Expect items on what each activity means, how often it happens, and what must occur before, during, and after a test.
The three activities are different
- Inspection - visual examination, no operation of the device.
- Testing - functional operation to verify performance.
- Maintenance - repair or replacement to restore proper operation. Mixing these terms is a common distractor.
Frequencies to know
- Annual testing of initiating devices, notification appliances, control unit functions, off-premises transmission, and emergency control interfaces, per the tables in Chapter 14.
- Smoke detector sensitivity is verified within one year of installation and at least every alternate year thereafter, unless the manufacturer's listed method states otherwise.
- Supervisory devices such as valve tampers and waterflow switches are tested at the interval listed in the table, which is more frequent than annual for many devices.
- Batteries are inspected for condition and charging, and tested under load per the manufacturer and code.
Before, during, and after
- Notify the monitoring company, the building owner, and occupants; obtain permission before disabling anything.
- Provide a fire watch or other approved mitigation whenever a system or zone is out of service.
- Never leave a system bypassed or in test mode at the end of the shift; restore and verify.
- Document results, deficiencies, and corrections; reacceptance testing is required after modifications or repairs that affect performance.
Worked example
A building's smoke detectors were installed in March 2019 and sensitivity-tested in 2020. When is the next sensitivity test due? Reasoning: the first test falls within one year of installation, and the code then requires alternate-year testing. The sequence is 2020, 2022, 2024, 2026. Annual functional testing of the same detectors still occurs every year - the sensitivity test is a separate requirement layered on top. If the manufacturer's listed method requires a different interval, the manufacturer governs.
Traps that cost marks
- Assuming annual testing satisfies every requirement; sensitivity and supervisory devices have their own intervals.
- Disabling a zone without notifying the monitoring company or providing a fire watch.
- Leaving the panel in test mode after the job.
- Skipping reacceptance testing after adding or replacing devices.
- Submitting reports with no deficiency list or no record of correction.