Florida § 633.312 - Inspection of fire control systems, fire hydrants, and fire protection systems.

§ 633.312. Inspection of fire control systems, fire hydrants, and fire protection systems.

(1) The State Fire Marshal shall have the right to inspect any fire control system during and after construction to determine that such system meets the standards set forth in the laws and rules of the state. (2) Fire hydrants and fire protection systems installed in public and private properties, except one-family or two-family dwellings, shall be inspected following procedures established in the nationally recognized inspection, testing, and maintenance standards publications NFPA-24 and NFPA-25 as set forth in the edition adopted by the State Fire Marshal. Quarterly, annual, 3-year, and 5-year inspections consistent with the contractual provisions with the owner shall be conducted by the certificateholder or permittees employed by the certificateholder pursuant to s. 633.318, except that: (a) Public fire hydrants owned by a governmental entity shall be inspected following procedures established in the inspection, testing, and maintenance standards adopted by the State Fire Marshal or equivalent standards such as those contained in the latest edition of the American Water Works Association’s Manual M17, “Installation, Field Testing, and Maintenance of Fire Hydrants.” (b) County, municipal, and special district utilities may perform fire hydrant inspections required by this section using designated employees. Such designated employees need not be certified under this chapter. However, counties, municipalities, or special districts that use designated employees are responsible for ensuring that the designated employees are qualified to perform such inspections. (3)(a) The inspecting contractor shall provide to the building owner or hydrant owner and the local authority having jurisdiction a copy of the applicable uniform summary inspection report established under this chapter. The local authority having jurisdiction may accept uniform summary inspection reports by United States mail, by hand delivery, by electronic submission, or through a third-party vendor that collects the reports on behalf of the local authority having jurisdiction. (b) The State Fire Marshal shall adopt rules to implement a uniform summary inspection report and submission procedures to be used by all third-party vendors and local authorities having jurisdiction. For purposes of this section, a uniform summary inspection report must record the address at which the fire protection system or hydrant is located, the company and person conducting the inspection and their license number, the date of the inspection, and the fire protection system or hydrant inspection status, including the total number of deficiencies found, separated into critical and noncritical categories, and a brief description of impairment deficiencies. A contractor’s detailed inspection report must also be provided but is not required to follow the uniform summary inspection report format. The State Fire Marshal shall establish by rule a submission procedure for each means provided under paragraph (a) by which a local authority having jurisdiction may accept uniform summary inspection reports. Each of the submission procedures must allow a contractor to attach additional documents with the submission of a uniform summary inspection report, including a physical copy of the contractor’s detailed inspection report. A submission procedure may not require a contractor to submit information contained within the detailed inspection report. (4) The maintenance of fire hydrant and fire protection systems as well as corrective actions on deficient systems is the responsibility of the owner of the system or hydrant. Equipment requiring periodic testing or operation to ensure its maintenance shall be tested or operated as specified in the Fire Prevention Code, Life Safety Code, National Fire Protection Association standards, or as directed by the appropriate authority, provided that such appropriate authority may not require a sprinkler system not required by the Fire Prevention Code, Life Safety Code, or National Fire Protection Association standards to be removed regardless of its condition. This section does not prohibit governmental entities from inspecting and enforcing firesafety codes. (5) At least once each year, each fire hydrant shall be opened fully and the water allowed to flow until all foreign materials have cleared the hydrant. The flow shall be maintained for not less than 1 minute. (6) If a fire hydrant is made nonfunctional by the closing of a water supply valve, the valve must immediately be tagged with a red tag that is boldly marked “nonfunctional” and the local fire authority notified that the hydrant is nonfunctional.