Fire Marshal Inspection Rehearsal

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Unfortunately, over my career I have been part of several projects where the GC failed the life safety inspection by the fire marshal.  This is usually the last inspection the city or county conducts before you get your Certificate of Occupancy.  This failure obviously causes delays to occupancy (which usually costs money), deflates people, pisses people off, and leaves everyone (including the development manager) with egg on their face. 

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Depending on the quality of the GC's team, and the fire alarm and fire sprinkler subcontractors, you may want to take action to ensure you pass the fire marshal's inspection the first time through.  The safest way to ensure you pass the inspection is to have an inspection rehearsal to test all systems a few days before the fire marshal is scheduled to inspect.  However, if you think this is overkill, you should at minimum sit down with your GC's superintendent and project manager and go over the below list of items to make sure they

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Administration

1. Ensure the fire alarm and fire sprinkler plans that have been reviewed and stamped by the fire marshals office are onsite for the inspector to review.

2. Ensure the fire sprinkler and fire alarm subcontractor representatives have their technician licenses and identification with them.  The fire marshal will want to see this.

 

Fire Alarm

1. Test pull all the fire alarm pull stations to make sure they set off the alarm?

2. Check the fire alarm control panel backup battery to ensure they have dates of when the batteries were put into service.

3. Check all the strobes and horns to ensure they come on when the fire alarm goes off. 

4. Ensure fire alarm monitoring in place so that when the alarm goes off, the fire marshal can validate that the monitoring company will notify the fire department.

5. Ensure all fire dampers close when the fire alarm goes off.

6. Tell the fire alarm sub to have a can of test smoke with him and a ladder.  The fire marshal will likely have him smoke several devices to test them.  The fire alarm sub should have a couple guys walking with the fire marshal and one at the fire alarm control panel to reset the panel after each smoke test.  

7. HVAC duct smoke detectors are accessible, labeled and tested.

 

Fire Sprinkler

1. Ensure the fire sprinkler flow switch(es) sets off the fire alarm when the fire sprinkler system loses water pressure.  The alarm needs to sound withing a certain amount of seconds (usually 90) from when the sprinkler test valve is opened to release the pressure.  Flow switches have a tendency to fail or take too long to alarm.

2. Have spare sprinkler heads, for each type of sprinkler, on hand near the fire alarm control panel.  The fire marshal may want to see these.

3. Ensure all of the fire risers have all of their identification and pressure tags on them.

4. Ensure the tamper switches on the fire sprinkler control valves send a supervisory signal to the FACP.

 

Other

1. Check fire rated doors to ensure they have their rating labels, and ensure the door rating matches or is greater than the fire wall rating.

2. Ensure all fire doors release/close when the fire alarm goes off.

3. If you have stairwell pressurization fans, ensure they come on when the fire alarm goes off.

4. Ensure all flooring is in place and there are no trip hazards (e.g., transition strips missing).  The fire marshal wants to ensure safe emergency egress.

5. Check fire extinguishers to ensure their inspection tags are not expired.

6. Ensure all of the fire walls and fire rated ceiling penetrations are property caulked. 

7. When the building loses power, do all of the egress lights an exit sign lights come on?

8. Are all of the fire lanes striped?

9. Is the Knox box installed at the front entrance and does it have keys to the front door in it?

10. Ensure all of your code required signage is in place

    1. Fire Department Connection (FDC) sign placed above the FDC

    2. Emergency egress route maps

    3. Sign by the elevators that says to use stairwells in case of fire

    4. Certain room signs are in place:

       1. Fire riser room

       2. Electrical room

       3. Stairwells

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