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FIRE ALARM INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS
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Ken,
    As always this forum is really helpful.
    Since most residential alarm companies put in smoke detectors or CO detectors (mine included) it's very helpful to know that we - the alarm company are responsible for yearly testing. (I assume that the NFPA72 form is the same for both residential fire testing, and commercial fire alarm testing?)
    Could you please site the code that requires a yearly residential fire inspection.
    It is a hell of a lot easier getting hundreds of clients on board when they know it's the law as opposed to trying to convince them of the rules. I will photocopy the code and send it to all clients that this applies to.
    Thanks again for helping minimize our liability and exposure. We ALL owe you and your staff much gratitude for keeping our profession informed and hopefully the end user safer.
Dimitry Boss
Boss Security Systems Inc
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RESPONSE
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    It's vital that you are aware of NFPA 72 standards when it comes to fire alarms, commercial or residential.  Though you should know the current standards keep in mind that your jurisdiction may have adopted an earlier version, in which case that's the standard the AHJ will look to.  Your jurisdiction may not have adopted any standards from NFPA 72 and may have its own standards that have been codified.  You need to comply with the local law, and like it or not, your first level of contact is going to be the AHJ that reviews, approves and inspects your commercial [and sometimes residential] fire [and sometimes burg or other alarm].  The Standard Fire All in One helps you organize yourself and structure your agreement with the subscriber because it covers all of the fire alarm services you are likely required to provide and do provide by separately identifying those services and separately charging for those services.  So sale, installation, service, monitoring and inspection [among others] are itemized.  
    Because the frequency of fire alarm inspections may be different in different jurisdictions, or your subscriber may not want to pay for the required inspections, the Standard Fire All in One leaves the frequency of inspection and the cost of inspection or RMR for inspection blank, to be filled in by you.  You need to know the frequency, and you need to find it in NFPA 72.
    The fire experts will have to provide the answer, but I'll go out on limb and guess that residential may not need inspection, or it's once a year, and commercial is probably once or twice a year.  One bit of advice I am sure of however is that you should not be doing fire alarm inspections without an inspection agreement.  Inspection is not repair service, which you also need a service agreement to perform.  These are all covered in the Commercial Fire All in One.  Residential fire alarms are covered in the Residential All in One.  You need to use these contract forms and you need to get them or update them right now.  Don't wait until your subscriber has a fire.  
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FIRE ALARM MONITORING
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Ken
    I really appreciate the emails.  I am in California.  My client ( building owner ) wants me to make our monitoring agreement “assignable” so they can assign the agreement to the next tenant and have them responsible for paying MRR fees.
    IN CALIFORNIA, … Is it the owner’s responsibility to maintain a monitoring agreement for the building Fire Alarm?
All the best,
Matt Taylor
Taylor Protection Services, Inc.
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RESPONSE
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    Like inspections, commercial fire alarm generally need to be monitored.  Despite all the false alarms the Fire Departments still want fire alarms, a life safety measure.  If a commercial building is required to have a fire alarm, or if once a voluntary fire alarm is installed it must comply with same requirements as a required system, and that system is required to be monitored [on or off site] invariably it's going to be the property owner's responsibility to arrange for the required system and required services, such as monitoring.  The Fire All in One covers fire alarm monitoring.  
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FILLING OUT SERVICE OPTION
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Ken
    I am trying to complete my first agreement [Standard Residential All in One] with a customer and I have a few questions. On section 3d service (Strike out i or ii), should we draw a line through the entire section i or ii whichever we are not using?
    On section 3 a-g if we are not offering one or more of these services do we leave the square unchecked and the blanks empty.  Or should we cross them out?
Thanks, 
Larry
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    Paragraph 3 in the Residential All in One [and paragraph 4 in the Commercial All in One] itemizes the various services that you may offer or may be available.  These include monitoring, service, inspection, verification, remote camera viewing, remote access, runner service and guard response.  The Service provision has the option for "per call" or "RMR".  The Service [this is repair service] does state that one of the options should be struck out and the other would get a check in the check box.  Obliterating the printed words to be struck out isn't necessary.  You can write N/A through the paragraph or simply a line / through it will suffice.
    A question that comes up often is whether you should keep some of the provisions if you really don't offer the service, such as guard response.  It's better idea to leave it in.  Why?  So your subscriber sees that the service is available, if not from you then someone else.  For the right price you can and will arrange it.  Keep in mind that you should be getting the Disclaimer Notice signed with every deal where the subscriber is acknowledging that you offered additional equipment and services and the subscriber declined.  Yes, it's also in the All in One agreement, but I want it in a separate document too.
More questions on our standard forms, call our Contract Administrator Eileen Wagda 516 747 6700 x 312 and she will be able to assist you.