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According to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), in 2001 there were more than 85,000 nonresidential fires resulting in direct property loss estimated at over $2.4 billion. To mitigate the sizable risk, organizations such as the Automatic Fire Alarm Association (AFAA) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) have long advocated a balanced approach. That is to say, rather than relying simply on fire detection (i.e. smoke alarms) or suppression (i.e. sprinklers and fire extinguishers), that builders and facility managers leverage both in coordination with each other.

Common sense and these statistics show having properly functioning equipment is imperative. This makes the testing, inspection and maintenance of all fire and life safety systems critical. With thousands of devices to inspect and test among the properties they service, how can inspection professionals mitigate the risks associated with an inaccurate or incomplete inspection?

One way inspectors are improving the accuracy and comprehensiveness of inspections is with mobile and online inspection and reporting tools. Armed with these tools, inspectors can immediately determine the status of the device’s working order, verify their inspection was thorough and provide the comprehensive and detailed reports their customers and the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) need to ensure their properties are protected from an emergency.

Read the full BuildingReports article published in the August issue of Properties Magazine