Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance
This domain tests NFPA 72 Chapter 14 inspection, testing, and maintenance, plus the documentation and impairment procedures that LAFD inspectors expect. The exam focuses on what must be tested, how often, and what record proves it was done.
Core rules
- Acceptance testing precedes final approval and verifies every initiating device, notification appliance, relay, and supervisory function.
- Annual testing includes smoke detectors, heat detectors, manual pull stations, waterflow and tamper switches, NACs, and batteries. Smoke detector sensitivity is tested within one year of installation and at the interval required by the adopted code.
- Batteries are tested under load, not just checked for voltage.
- Impairments require notification to the monitoring station and occupants, a documented tag, and restoration before the system is returned to service.
- Records of completion, test reports, and maintenance logs must be retained and made available to the authority having jurisdiction.
Worked example
During an annual test, a photoelectric smoke detector reads 4.0% per foot obscuration, outside its listed sensitivity range of roughly 1.0–3.0% per foot. Cleaning may restore it, but if it remains outside the listed range, replace the detector and retest. The reasoning is that sensitivity outside the listed range can cause missed alarms or nuisance alarms.
Traps
- Testing only the panel and not the field devices.
- Skipping battery load testing.
- Failing to document impaired devices and notifications.
- Using a generic test form that does not record device addresses and results.
- Returning a system to service without verifying restoration.