Practically all buildings and a lot of homes these days have fire alarm systems. These alarm systems are created by different manufacturers and may employ different protection mechanisms from each other.
However, they all follow certain requirements as dictated by the fire code. One of the requirements of the code is that all buildings have to undergo a regular fire alarm inspection.
You might say, well, my system already has a fire alarm annunciator that keeps tabs on the performance of all fire alarm parts in my building, so why do I need to go through the fire alarm inspection?
You might have a perfectly functioning system, but there are other factors outside of your actual fire alarm system that should be checked, and this is where the fire alarm inspection comes in.
These are some of the things that will be checked during a fire alarm inspection:
1. There must be no objects blocking your fire exits, and that the doors can easily be opened. There should also be a conspicuous sign on your fire exits so people will know where to go right away.
2. The fire alarm inspection people will also check if there are enough exits from the building. They will also verify if the building does not exceed its maximum occupancy. If there are too many people in a building, and there are not enough exits, that will probably lead to stampedes during a fire.
3. There must be no highly flammable substances in the vicinity of your building. If flammable materials are absolutely needed, they must be stored properly away from high-risk areas.
4. A fire alarm inspection also includes checking whether fire extinguishers and other fire alarm devices are in the right places where people can get to them quickly in case of a fire.
5. Sprinklers should be located in areas where fire is more likely to occur. They should be placed in properly calculated distances from each other.
6. Also, during a fire alarm inspection, there will be a fire drill where the people in the house or building will be instructed on what to do and where to go in case of an actual fire. These fire drills are to be done several times a year.
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