Guides for the trade
The cadence questions, answered plainly — how the annual, 6-year, 12-year, and semi-annual dates are set — and the business of running a route. Free to read, nothing to sign up for.
Inspection cadence
How often do fire extinguishers need inspection?
The short answer has four parts under NFPA 10: the owner visual check, the annual maintenance, the 6-year internal exam, and the 5- or 12-year hydrostatic test.
The NFPA 10 inspection checklist for portable extinguishers
The itemized annual maintenance walk for portable fire extinguishers under NFPA 10 — what a technician checks, records, and tags on each unit, one by one.
Fire extinguisher 6-year maintenance requirements
What the 6-year internal examination covers for stored-pressure dry-chemical extinguishers under NFPA 10, and which agents run on a different clock.
Fire extinguisher hydrostatic testing: the 5- and 12-year cycles
How hydrostatic testing works for portable fire extinguishers, and why the interval is 5 years for some agents and 12 years for others under NFPA 10.
Kitchen hood suppression inspection frequency
How often pre-engineered kitchen hood fire suppression systems must be serviced under NFPA 96 and UL-300 — the semi-annual rule, explained plainly.
Exit and emergency light testing requirements
The testing schedule for emergency and exit lighting under NFPA 101 — the annual 90-minute test and the monthly function test, and who owns each.
Fire extinguisher service tags, explained
A fire extinguisher service tag is the dated, per-serial record of the last service. Here is what it records, and why a fire marshal reads it first.
What a fire marshal checks on an inspection
A plain walkthrough of what a fire marshal actually checks on inspection day, from extinguisher tags to exit lighting, so you can read the room too.
Fire extinguisher types and agents, explained
A field guide to portable extinguisher agents — ABC, BC, Purple-K, CO2, water, wet chemical, clean agent, foam, and halon — and why the agent sets the schedule.
The route business
How to start a fire extinguisher inspection business
A practical starter guide to a fire extinguisher inspection business: state licensing, route economics, and how to land your first steady customers.
Fire extinguisher inspection software: what to look for
How to choose fire extinguisher inspection software as an independent shop — the cadence engine, the offline route day, the proof record, and honest pricing.
How to price fire extinguisher inspections
How to price fire extinguisher inspections: per-asset versus per-site quoting, trip fees, and why the recurring route is worth more than any single visit.
Recharge vs. replace a fire extinguisher
When to recharge a fire extinguisher and when to replace it — how the agent, the shell’s age, and the next hydrostatic test decide the call.
Building a recurring fire-inspection route
The renewal-book math behind a recurring fire-inspection route: annual contracts, due-date scheduling, and how a steady book compounds year over year.