Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Electronic Monitoring of Fire Extinguishers

  • 11/01/06

Recognizing the improved reliability and added safety of electronically monitored fire extinguishers, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) voted to amend NFPA 10 and NFPA 72 to include electronic monitoring in lieu of mandatory physical 30-day inspections. The ruling went into effect in September following ratification by the NFPA Standards Council.


Strong support for the acceptance of the technology came from fire officials, end users, and members of the fire protection industry. Mike Halligan from the University of Utah provided written testimony in support of the proposed changes. His school installed electronically monitored fire extinguishers in two residence halls in September 2003. Halligan remarked that prior to their installation the university averaged 50 stolen or fire extinguisher tampers per year. After installing electronically monitored extinguishers they experienced only one tamper in three years.


According to the NFPA, electronically monitored fire extinguishers allowed under their codes must include the ability to assess proper location, access without obstruction, and pressurization. Moreover, the system must provide record keeping in the form of an electronic event log at the control panel.


Don Bliss, former New Hampshire State Fire Marshal, also testified in support of recognizing the technology as an equivalent to the mandatory 30-day inspections. Bliss said,“The overwhelming support for the technology just makes sense, the technology brings better accountability to fire extinguishers, helps ensure code compliance and improves life safety.”


For some buildings that have hundreds and often thousands of extinguishers on-site, physical inspections can be very costly and time-consuming efforts. Proponents say electronic monitoring reduces these expenses and improves safety.“Fire equipment industry studies show that 90 percent of 30-day inspections simply do not happen — representing a huge security and life-safety risk,” said John McSheffrey, vice president of Business Development, for MIJA Inc., of Rockland, MA. “I think historically speaking, today's vote will be looked at as the turning point for fire extinguishers, the day in which extinguishers became a fully recognized component of an intelligent fire protection package. Going forth, why would anyone specify standalone extinguishers in larger occupancies?”



Source: MIJA, Inc. (www.mija.com)


Featured

  • California High School Opens New Classroom Building for 7th-, 8th-Graders

    Santa Rosa City Schools in Santa Rosa, Calif., recently announced the completion of a new classroom building for Piner High School. As the campus transitions to a Junior/Senior High School, the facility will play home to the school’s new population of seventh- and eighth-grade students.

  • Wyoming District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    Laramie County School District #1 in Cheyenne, Wy., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the upcoming Mountain View Elementary School, according to a news release. The facility has an estimated completion date of summer 2028, and it will have the capacity for 650 students in fifth and sixth grade.

  • Haws Corporation Marks 120th Anniversary

    Haws Corporation, which provides hydration and emergency safety solutions worldwide, recently announced that the company is celebrating its 120th anniversary this year, according to a news release.

  • URI Cuts Underwater Ribbon on New Ocean Robotics Laboratory

    The University of Rhode Island recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new Ocean Robotics Laboratory at its Narragansett Bay Campus, according to a news release. Two students used a remotely operated vehicle to cut an underwater ribbon in a 30-by-20-foot test tank.