Training and Certification Requirements for Maintaining Fire Alarm Systems

Only qualified and experienced service personnel are permitted to perform inspection, testing and maintenance. These technicians must meet one or more of the following criteria per NFPA 72, 10.5.3.4, according to an article from Facility Maintenance Decisions on the FacilitiesNet website.

Technicians must be:

• Factory trained and certified for the specific type and brand of system being serviced

• Certified by a nationally recognized certifications organization acceptable to the AHJ

• Registered, licensed or certified by a state or local authority — either individually or through affiliation with an organization — to service systems addressed within the scope of this code

• Employed and qualified by an organization listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory for servicing systems within the scope of this code

It might be difficult for managers to determine the level of training or certification required, since the code does not specify these levels. The local AHJ might have specific qualification requirements for servicing companies. The code allows inspection, testing or maintenance to be done by a building or system owner or a person or organization other than the building or system owner. 

But it is the building owner's responsibility to ensure that only properly trained and competent persons perform inspection, testing and maintenance. Managers need to keep records on resumes, training and qualifications.

Read the full FacilitiesNet article.