Here are the steps that will take place when you undergo a fire alarm inspection.
A fire alarm inspection will be mandatory for most businesses. Testing your fire alarms is of utmost importance because it’s these alarms that can potentially save the lives of your workers in the event that a fire takes place. But what exactly goes on during a fire inspection? Here are the steps that will take place when you undergo a fire alarm inspection.
Pre-Test
Prior to testing, the people who will visit your building plan a meeting time for when they will arrive at the facility that is being tested. The staff will often include a city fire chief, a fire alarm technician, and a property manager.
Test Primary and Secondary Phone Lines
Testing phone lines comes next. After the fire alarm gets activated, the fire alarm technician sets off the alarm using each of the different phone lines, one at a time. The technician will record how long it takes for the call to get to the monitoring station, dispatcher, and all the way back to the fire chief.
Test Battery Backup
Batteries need to be tested to make sure that they can supply enough power in a pinch. The backup batteries are essential because, without them, a power outage could spell out disaster for your business.
Alarm Sound Testing
After the fire alarm is activated, the fire technician will go to each floor of your building to make sure that your alarms are sounding off. This way, no one in the building will ever be unaware if a fire has broken out.
Pull Any Manual Fire Alarms
Once the manual fire alarms get pulled, technicians will see everything on the alarm panel. One of the technicians will pull alarms while another will check the panel to make sure that these alarm pulls are recognized.
Test Heat Detectors
Heat detectors have a glass shell that shatters if it reaches a certain temperature (155 degrees Fahrenheit). The people working on your building will inspect these heat detectors by giving them a short. This will help to replicate the effects of temperatures reaching this temperature and breaking the glass.
The short in the detector will cause an alert to get sent to the fire alarm panel. A technician will clarify whether or not the alert was sent. Then, they will reset the alarm and move on to another detector.
Perform a Sensitivity Test
A smoke detector sensitivity test needs to be done to make sure all detectors are working as they should. All detectors have a sensitivity range, and the ones performing the inspection will put the smoke detectors under conditions that would fall within their sensitivity range to see if they trigger.
Making Sure the HVAC Systems Turn Off
HVAC systems have to turn off during a fire, or else they can help spread the fire to other areas of a building. That’s why workers have to test fire alarms to make sure they shut off the HVAC systems once they trigger.
KEEP YOURSELF SAFE WITH ANDERSON FIRE PROTECTION, INC.
Anderson Fire Protection, Inc. has the expertise and skill to help your home or commercial property for all your fire protection needs. We have been working in the Maryland, Northern Virginia, Southern Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C. areas for over 25 years. We are known for our top-notch customer service and high-quality results. If you are ready for fantastic fire prevention and protection services, from fire sprinkler installation to fire alarm design and to consult, give us a call at (410) 796-4915 or visit us online.