NICET ITFAS cheat sheet

NFPA 72 Chapter 14 governs inspection, testing, and maintenance; Table 14.4.3.2 sets the minimum frequency and method for each component type, and the frequency clock starts at the acceptance test date, not the install date.

Test frequency rules: control units annually; initiating devices annually; notification appliances semiannually; batteries quarterly (load test annually); supervising station equipment quarterly; duct detectors annually with response verified by smoke or aerosol.

Acceptance testing precedes periodic inspection: 100% of devices are functionally tested at acceptance (NFPA 72 Chapter 14 and Chapter 7), while periodic testing may use the sampling provisions only where the standard explicitly permits them.

Inspection is a visual/mechanical check (no stimulus applied); testing applies a stimulus and verifies response. A record must state which was performed - 'inspected' and 'tested' are not interchangeable entries.

Documentation requirements: records must identify device, location, test method, result, date, and the person and firm performing the work; records are retained and made available to the AHJ, and the owner receives a copy.

Impedance and voltage checks: verify initiating device circuit and notification appliance circuit voltages/currents against manufacturer tolerances; a ground-fault indication must be investigated, not reset and ignored.

Smoke detector sensitivity testing is required at the frequency in Table 14.4.3.2 (typically annual after the first year, with the initial sensitivity check at installation); values outside the listed range require cleaning, recalibration, or replacement.

Battery calculations use the standby load plus alarm load for the required duration (24 h standby plus 5 min alarm for commercial occupancies unless the standard or AHJ specifies otherwise), with a 20% derating on calculated capacity and a 20% capacity margin at the end of battery life.

A system impairment must be documented and the AHJ and owner notified per NFPA 72 impairment procedures; a device that fails test is recorded as failed and tracked until repaired and retested, not deleted from the report.

Notification appliance circuits are tested for audibility and intelligibility against the design criteria; sound pressure measured at 5 ft (1.5 m) from the appliance or at the pillow in sleeping areas, whichever applies, must meet the design dB above ambient.

Duct smoke detector testing requires a response that places the system in alarm and verifies correct supervisory/trouble signaling, remote test station function, and sampling tube airflow; the detector head and sampling tubes must also be inspected for contamination and correct orientation.

Waterflow and supervisory devices: vane/pressure-type waterflow switches tested at the flow rate specified by the manufacturer and NFPA 72 (typically within 90 s of flow at the alarm threshold), and valve tamper switches tested through their full travel.

Supervising station and transmission means: verify signal receipt at the supervising station, including alarm, supervisory, trouble, and restoration signals, and confirm the time between signal initiation and receipt meets the required performance.

Remote annunciators, graphic workstations, and digital alarm communicator transmitters are functionally tested for each signal type; verify line-seizure and alternate-path operation where two means of transmission are required.

The pre-test walk-through establishes device addresses, zone lists, and as-builts; discrepancies between the record of completion and field conditions must be corrected before testing is considered complete.

Test equipment must be calibrated and appropriate to the device: magnet test for magnetic switches, aerosol or canned smoke for photoelectric/ionization detectors, heat gun or test lamp for heat detectors, and a calibrated sound level meter for audibility.

Reacceptance testing is required after modification, repair, or replacement of a device or circuit; the scope covers the changed component plus verification that the rest of the system still functions, and the record of completion is updated.

Initiating device circuits: test each device individually and verify the correct address/zone annunciation at the control unit; a device that reports the wrong location is a failed test even if it alarms.

Supervisory and trouble conditions must be tested, not just alarm conditions: open circuits, ground faults, and removal of a device should each produce the correct trouble signal within the required time.

Notification appliance audibility is measured with a sound level meter set to the appropriate weighting (A-weighting for fire alarm audibility) and the reading recorded; readings must be taken under normal ambient conditions and documented.

Visual notification appliances are inspected for candela rating, mounting height, and coverage per the design; the candela value must match the plans and the device must not be obstructed.

The inspection report must distinguish between devices that passed, failed, or were not tested (inaccessible, impaired, or owner-deferred); untested devices are not reported as passing.

Records of inspection and testing are retained for at least one year or as required by the AHJ; the record of completion and associated documents are kept for the life of the system.

A fire alarm system that is out of service must have a documented fire watch or other approved mitigation, and the impairment must be recorded with start and end times.

Test the interface with suppression systems, HVAC shutdown, door release, elevator recall, and other emergency control functions; each interface is verified for correct initiation and correct response.

Verify the sequence of operations against the design: which devices activate which outputs, time delays, and priority levels; a device that alarms but does not trigger the correct output is a failed test.