FDNY Is Warning Companies About Ineffective Fire Extinguisher Inspections

During a real fire situation, your front-line defense includes portable fire extinguishers and  sprinkler systems. Both need to be inspected and tested regularly, yet both have a history of poor-quality inspections.

Portable fire extinguishers are especially known for receiving substandard inspections in the greater New York City market. 

The Fire Department of New York (FDNY) is specifically identifying “unscrupulous companies charging businesses inflated fees for these services, and then failing to perform necessary servicing.”

A Big Savings 

In most cases, hand-held extinguishers are highly effective in suppressing a fire. The National Association of Fire Equipment Distributors found that portable extinguishers were effective in either extinguishing or suppressing fires in approximately 95% of cases.

Suppression is the key. Fires tend to grow rapidly once they are well-established within a structure. When the temperature inside reaches a certain point, a flashover may occur,  effectively causing an entire room/structure to ignite.

With the proper application of fire suppressant, most fires can be controlled, isolated, and the  heat reduced until emergency services arrive. In most cases where the fire was contained until the fire department was on the scene, damages were limited to local heat damage and manageable amounts of smoke damage.

A Serious Problem 

All portable fire extinguishers in NYC are required to be inspected annually by a licensed fire protection company. Unfortunately, if the inspecting company is not properly servicing your fire sprinkler equipment, when a true emergency occurs, it may be too late. .

The FDNY has noted a history of misconduct from a number of fire protection companies. 

Cited examples of unprofessional behavior include:

• Overcharging for services not rendered
• Not maintaining the appropriate licenses 
• Deceitful inspection practices
• Fraudulently attaching other companies’ tags to extinguishers

New York City officials have brought legal action against these untrustworthy companies. Current regulations require that your fire extinguisher inspection company holds an active license issued by the FDNY with their staff members maintaining individual certificates of fitness issued by the FDNY as well.

All fire extinguishers in New York City must have a fire department-issued decal or tag attached to it. Each tag must have a serial number for on-site verification by the FDNY. You must also maintain a full record of all inspections and servicing of the equipment, as well as the names and certificate numbers of all inspectors for a minimum of three years.

A Simple Solution 

Allstate Sprinkler is a NYC Licensed Master Fire Suppression Contractor and certified by the FDNY to perform the inspections, testing, sales and servicing of portable fire extinguishers as well as fire sprinkler systems. Servicing the greater NYC area for almost -50- years, Allstate Sprinkler’s family owned business has been entrusted by its customers, the FDNY and the Department of Buildings to provide outstanding life saving services 

All inspection records are digitally secured for instant access by officials, and our shop is fully stocked with spare parts and our fire extinguisher technicians know exactly what types of fire extinguishers need to be installed in each area or your facility.