31 Aug How to Comply with Your Annual Fire Inspection
Annual inspections by the fire department are performed to assess and mitigate potential fire- and life-safety hazards in buildings. Most fire departments provide you with a written report of any corrections that are necessary. These inspections vary in type and frequency, depending on the jurisdiction, city, and state. How the fire inspectors perform these inspections also varies dramatically from area to area.
The type of inspection performed is related to several issues. It’s important to have some understanding of codes, standards, and ordinances in the jurisdiction, and how they may affect your inspection. Codes tell you what requirements need to be met, and what features of fire protection (e.g. fire-sprinkler system, fire-alarm system, etc.) need to be installed.
Generally, codes are promulgated by consensus groups made up of industry representatives, such as code officials, manufacturers, system installers, special experts, etc. Standards tell you how to properly install equipment or systems required in the code.