Fire Extinguisher Service in San Bernardino County

Every extinguisher in your building needs a current service tag. That holds in Fontana, in Needles and up in Big Bear. The thing that changes from one city to the next is the fire office that walks in and reads those tags, so start there and the rest of the job is routine.

Whose inspector reads the tag

In much of the county, it's San Bernardino County Fire. Its Office of the Fire Marshal is the department's inspection and regulatory arm, based at 598 S. Tippecanoe Ave. in San Bernardino, and the cities it covers include Adelanto, Fontana, Grand Terrace, Hesperia, Needles, San Bernardino, Twentynine Palms, Upland and Yucca Valley.

Not every city works that way. Some run their own fire agency. Rancho Cucamonga, for example, has its own fire district, with a Prevention Bureau under its own Fire Marshal. Not sure which office covers your address? Call the fire marshal for your city and ask, and confirm which edition of the fire code they enforce while you're on the line. For County Fire territory, the San Bernardino County Fire Office of the Fire Marshal is the place to start.

Annual, six-year and twelve-year work

The yearly visit follows NFPA 10 and California's Title 19 rules. A licensed technician examines each unit (gauge, pin and seal, hose and nozzle, cylinder, bracket) and records the service on a new tag. Units that fail get recharged or replaced. Some years add more work:

• Six-year internal maintenance. Stored-pressure dry chemical units are emptied, opened up, inspected inside and refilled.
• Hydrostatic testing. Dry chemical cylinders are pressure tested every 12 years. CO2, water and wet chemical (Class K) cylinders are tested every 5 years. See our hydrostatic testing service in San Bernardino County.
• Monthly checks. These are yours. Someone on staff looks at each unit and initials the record.

Training is a separate rule. If you provide extinguishers for employees to use, OSHA requires you to train them when they're hired and at least once a year after that, and our fire extinguisher training in San Bernardino County covers it.

Kitchens, mountain cold and outdoor units

Restaurants need one more unit. A kitchen with a hood suppression system also needs a Class K extinguisher for cooking oils and fats. In County Fire territory, the District's local fire code amendments also add an annual operational permit for commercial cooking, so check the current permit rules with the fire marshal before your inspection. The hood system has its own twice-yearly inspection under our kitchen fire suppression service. For a restaurant facing an inspection, see how we handled bilingual, fast-turnaround extinguisher service in La Puente.

Mountain sites are different. Big Bear Lake sits around 6,750 feet, and winter temperatures there drop below freezing. Water-based extinguishers kept in unheated garages, docks or outdoor cabinets can freeze. Dry chemical units handle the cold better. Tell us which units sit outside heated space and we'll look at what's mounted there.

Outdoor tags take a beating. At a Victorville carnival with 23 outdoor extinguishers, we used weatherproof tags that would last.

The license behind the tag

California only allows a firm and technician licensed by the State Fire Marshal to service portable extinguishers. Our California work is done by Hedrick Fire Protection, which holds C-16 (fire protection) and C-10 (electrical) contractor licenses and is licensed by the State Fire Marshal under Title 19 for portable extinguisher service and for inspection, testing and maintenance of water-based fire protection systems.

Ready to book? Call (909) 219-9411 or email socal@1profire.com. Send the address, a rough unit count and the month on your current tags.

Related services and nearby pages

• All fire protection services in San Bernardino County
• Fire sprinkler service in San Bernardino County
• Fire alarm testing in San Bernardino County
• Fire extinguisher service in Fontana
• Fire extinguisher service in Rancho Cucamonga
• Fire extinguisher service in Big Bear Lake

Fire extinguisher questions

How often do extinguishers need professional service?

Once a year. A State Fire Marshal licensed technician does it and records it on the tag. Your staff also do a quick visual check every month.

Is my business inspected by County Fire or by my city?

It depends on the city. County Fire's Office of the Fire Marshal covers cities such as Fontana, Hesperia and Upland, while cities like Rancho Cucamonga have their own fire marshal. Call the fire marshal for your address if you aren't sure.

My dry chemical extinguisher is six years old. Does it need anything?

Probably. Stored-pressure dry chemical units get an internal teardown every six years and a hydrostatic test every 12.

Does a restaurant kitchen need a special extinguisher?

Yes. A kitchen with a hood suppression system also needs a Class K unit, and that cylinder is hydrostatically tested every five years.