Fire Safety Compliance

Effective in 1984, the Los Angeles Fire Department passed a new ordinance containing code requirements in the areas of building, electrical, fire and plumbing. The Dorothy Mae Ordinance had many new regulations to follow, but most vital to note is that Self-closing devices were now being required on apartment or guest room doors openings into an interior stairway, hallway or exit. Why? Because if there is a fire in a unit just like the tragic one in the Bronx– and the front door is left open– the fire will be delayed from spreading into the corridor for a minimum of 90 mins. That’s an entire 1.5 hours. This is vital time in the case of a fire emergency to allow for evacuation and emergency personnel to take action for fire extinguishing and rescue. Click the following link if you’d like to read the entire LAFD Dorothy Mae Ordinance.

fire door closer

Fire Sprinkler Retrofit

Another regulation added to buildings in Los Angeles that fell under the Dorothy Mae Ordinance was adding sprinkler heads above each self-closing door. This type of retrofitting may not be possible considering the cost and logistics of installing new sprinkler systems in the vast amount of non-sprinklered buildings in NYC. That is why self-closing doors and regularly tested smoke detectors are a vital in order to save life and property assets.

Smoke Detectors are Vital

Smoke detectors within apartment or condo units are local meaning they won’t make an external fire alarm control panel ring nor alert the Fire Department to be dispatched. Smoke detectors in common areas are often connected to a Fire Alarm Control Panel and should make your building’s fire alarm bells ring and sometimes release magnetically-held fire doors to latch. You need to stay compliant and vigilant with annual testing of your fire alarm and fire doors whether you are ordered to do so by the local AHJ, Fire Department, or Insurance– or not. Regardless of where you live, these are important fire safety measures that should be taken seriously by building owners and management.

Supervisory Station Alarm Monitoring

Ask your building management if your Fire Alarm or Fire Sprinkler system is monitored. If there is an emergency, monitored systems will dispatch firefighters within minutes. These systems also require Annual Supervisory Station Alarm Testing. In 2022, dedicated digital phone lines are cheaper than analog lines ever were. Now is the time to take action in order to stay on top of your building’s fire safety for your protection. As we often say, “Know Safety, No Fire”.

Contact KO Fire Protection for your Fire Safety Compliance Needs. Email us [email protected] or Call (818) 259-4412 for questions or to schedule an estimate on testing or repairss.

August 5, 2021

Fire Protection Compliance Testing

Regulation 4 Test Los Angeles

Regulation 4 Test in Los Angeles

If your property falls under the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) of the City of Los Angeles, you need to find a licensed Reg 4 Certified Tester to certify your fire protection systems. You may receive an e-mail or post mail notice from the LAFD that you have 30 days to complete testing. In case of any defects found during testing, you’ll have 30 more days to make repairs. KO Fire Protection is licensed for Reg 4 Testing as well as Licensed, Bonded and Insured to make necessary repairs.

Reg 4 Quote

You’ll want to get a quote for Reg 4 Testing. The information that is important to share with a potential certified tester is your address, how many stories your building has, how many units, and which fire protection systems you have on site. Systems vary and its important for your contractor to know what they are facing so we don’t misquote you and arrive on site with surprises. In some cases, its best we stop by the premises if you have complex systems.

The Compliance Engine

Once testing is complete, your Reg 4 Certified Tester will submit your system reports to The Compliance Engine by Brycer. There is a standard reporting processing fee of $12, which may be increased over time. If the tester submits a fail, you’ll have 30 days to make repairs then submit a Retest report with another processing fee. Costs vary depending upon your systems and how many defects you had.

December 17, 2020

Fire Protection Testing Compliance Insurance Testing

My Smoke Detector Keeps Beeping

You may have noticed that your smoke detector keeps beeping. It’s keeping you and your neighbors up at night and it’s an absolute nuisance. There are a few things you want to check to find the problem as to why it’s beeping.

The Battery is Backwards: Make sure the battery is installed correctly. Those 6 volt batteries can be confusing. If you can’t see small characters, as someone for help to line up the positive and negative ends of the battery. I can’t tell you how many times batteries were installed backwards.
The Battery is Old: If the battery is burned out, it will make the smoke detector beep. Buy a new 6 volt battery. Get a pack of a few so you don’t always run out of them!
The Smoke Detector is Old: Sometimes once a smoke detector gets too old it becomes defective and putting in a new battery won’t even help. Just replace the smoke detector!
Disconnected Wiring: sometimes the wiring inside the J-box got disconnected. Call a professional such as KO Fire Protection if you don’t have knowledge of basic low voltage electrical connections.

Dual Carbon Monoxide Smoke Detector

Now more than ever we’ve been doing smoke detector testing and smoke detector inspections. Its important to have a standard smoke detector in each bedroom and a dual carbon monoxide/smoke detector in hallways and corridors that sit between your kitchen and your bedrooms. Why? If there is a gas leak in your home, the carbon monoxide detector will pick it up before it gets to your bedroom where you and your family are sleeping. This is of vital important that these are in working condition.

carbon monoxide smoke detector For property owners and property management companies, your insurance company will make sure you test your carbon monoxide and smoke detectors. The process can be tedious to schedule and enter every unit in a building, but its worthwhile and important for life and property safety. Call us at 818-259-4412 we are happy to explain the process to you and provide you with a quote on smoke detector testing. You can also e-mail us at [email protected].