What a fire marshal actually looks at
Most findings are not equipment failures. They are paperwork failures. The inspector walks the building, reads tags, and counts. Four things decide the outcome, and all four are visible from arm's length.
A current tag on every unit. A monthly check record on the back of that tag. The unit mounted at the right height with clear access. And enough units that no one has to walk further than the hazard class allows.
- 01Expired or missing tagRead from arm’s length. The punch date is dated evidence, so there is nothing to argue.
- 02No monthly check recordThe back of the tag is blank or stops several months ago.
- 03Blocked or unmounted unitSitting on the floor, behind stock, or moved during a fit-out and never remounted.
- 04Too few units for the hazardTravel distance measured from the furthest point of the space to the nearest unit.
Every interval, and who may perform it
One of these is yours. The rest require a technician licensed by the Texas State Fire Marshal.
The one you perform yourself
No license is required for the monthly visual check, and no tools. It takes about thirty seconds per unit. Initial and date the back of the tag when you are done, because the record is the part that gets inspected.
Mounting height and travel distance
A correctly serviced unit in the wrong place is still a finding. These are the figures an inspector measures.
- Units 40 lb and under, top of unit
- MAX 5 FT
- Units over 40 lb, top of unit
- MAX 3.5 FT
- Clearance from the floor
- MIN 4 IN
- Travel distance, Class A hazard
- MAX 75 FT
- Travel distance, Class B hazard
- MAX 30 TO 50 FT
- Class K, cooking appliance
- MAX 30 FT
What to keep, and for how long
The tag is the primary record and it lives on the unit. Everything else lives in your file, and the file is what an insurance carrier asks for after a claim rather than during an inspection.
The tag answers the inspector. The file answers the carrier. Keep both, because the two questions arrive at different times and only one of them is scheduled.
What you do, what we do
- The monthly visual check on every unit
- Initial and date the back of the tag
- Tell us when a unit is used, moved, or damaged
- Keep the service records in your file
- The annual inspection and the punched tag
- Recharge after any discharge
- Six year internal maintenance
- Twelve year hydrostatic testing
- A written service record for your file
This guide summarises NFPA 10 and Texas administrative rules for facilities managers. It is not the standard itself. Verify against the edition your authority having jurisdiction enforces.