Malibu Fire Extinguisher Annual Certification

The tag is what an inspector reads

Each portable extinguisher in your building should carry a service tag dated within the past year. That tag is the record. During a business inspection, the inspector will usually check its date.

In Malibu that inspector comes from the County of Los Angeles Fire Department, because the city has no fire department of its own and contracts with the county for fire response, prevention and inspections. An expired tag is one of the easiest findings to avoid, so book the annual visit before the month on the tag comes around.

Fire extinguisher inspection, monthly and yearly

Looking for a fire extinguisher inspection? There are two kinds. You need both.

The monthly one is yours. Once a month, someone on site should confirm that each unit hangs in its place, the gauge needle sits in the green, the pin and tamper seal are intact and nothing blocks the path to it. Note the check on the tag or in a log.

The annual inspection is ours. A licensed technician looks at each unit more closely:

• Pressure and gauge reading
• Pin, tamper seal and handle
• Hose, nozzle or horn, for cracks and blockages
• The cylinder, for dents, corrosion or damage
• Bracket, mounting and clear access
• Due dates for its 6-year teardown and hydrostatic test

If your staff are expected to use the extinguishers, OSHA also requires that they be trained when hired and at least once a year after that; see fire extinguisher training in Malibu.

When a unit needs more than a tag

Some extinguishers come due for deeper work. Stored-pressure dry chemical units get an internal teardown every six years. Hydrostatic testing runs on its own clock: every 12 years for dry chemical, and every 5 years for CO2, water and wet chemical (Class K) units. A cylinder past its test date shouldn't go back on the wall until it passes hydrostatic testing or is replaced.

Was a unit used, even briefly? It needs a recharge before it can be tagged. Kitchens that cook with oils and fats under a suppression system also need a Class K extinguisher.

Who may certify extinguishers in California

California's Title 19 limits extinguisher service to firms and technicians licensed by the State Fire Marshal. 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. To check any firm before you hire it, start with the California State Fire Marshal.

Booking certification in Malibu

Send us the address, a rough count of extinguishers and the types if you know them (dry chemical, CO2, Class K). We'll set a date. The technician does the work at your site, and units that pass get a fresh tag on the spot. If one fails, you'll hear what it needs (a recharge, a 6-year teardown, a hydro test or replacement) before any of that work goes ahead.

Call (213) 568-0188 or email socal@1profire.com.

Need repairs or new units instead? See fire extinguisher service in Malibu, or the Malibu fire protection page for sprinklers, alarms and hydrants.