What Norco businesses call us about
Extinguishers, mostly. About half of the calls we get from Norco are extinguisher jobs: annual certification, a tag that lapsed the day before, new units for vendors who have none, or getting rid of old ones. Hydrants come next, then sprinklers. Several of those calls start with a correction notice from an inspection, such as missing caps on an outside hydrant or sprinkler escutcheon rings flagged for replacement, plus a re-inspection date the owner has to meet.
Who writes those notices? Norco contracts with CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department for fire response, and the county's Office of the County Fire Marshal handles fire and life-safety inspections for contract cities, Norco included. Its local office is the Norco Eastvale Fire Marshal's Office at 3902 Hillside Avenue (951-737-8097). Send us the notice and we'll price each item on it.
Fire system service in Norco
Fire system service covers the equipment built into your building or site: sprinklers, private hydrants, alarms and kitchen suppression. Each runs on its own clock.
- Sprinklers get quarterly and annual inspections under NFPA 25, an internal pipe assessment and gauge testing or replacement every five years, and a 5-year service and certification under California Title 19.
- Private hydrants? Flow tested and inspected every year.
- Fire alarms: at least annually under NFPA 72, with some devices tested more often.
- Kitchen suppression systems under NFPA 96 and NFPA 17A are inspected every six months, and the metal-alloy fusible links in them are replaced at least that often. One recent estimate for a semi-annual trailer or kitchen suppression inspection was $150, to be confirmed.
Details for each system: fire sprinkler service in Norco, annual fire hydrant testing, fire alarm service and kitchen fire suppression service.
Repairs come up too. Recent Norco calls have covered missing hydrant caps, eight sprinkler heads and the wrench gone from a spare-head box, and a sprinkler head that popped out of the ceiling. One hydrant repair quote came to $3,950. See fire hydrant repair for that work.
Fire extinguisher service and recent prices
Owners check extinguishers monthly. Once a year, a certified technician services each unit and records it on a tag. Dry chemical units also need a 6-year internal teardown and a hydrostatic test every 12 years, while CO2, water and Class K units are hydro tested every 5 years.
Recent Norco quotes:
- $40: minimum call, one extinguisher.
- $15 each at volume (about 60 units).
- $70: new certified ABC unit, plus tax.
- $45: refurbished 5 lb unit, certified.
- $285: new Class K unit.
Kitchens with a suppression system also need a Class K portable extinguisher. Read how we handled extinguisher certification for a 60-vendor Norco rodeo event. More on fire extinguisher service, annual certification and hydrostatic testing.
Who may do the work
Ask before you hire. In California, extinguisher service must be done by a firm and technician 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 extinguisher service and for inspection, testing and maintenance of water-based fire protection systems.
Reaching us from Norco
Norco is a listed service area. Call (951) 384-0323 or email socal@1profire.com. Nearby, see our pages for Riverside County, San Bernardino County and Orange County.
Norco fire protection questions
Will a receipt satisfy the fire marshal for a brand-new extinguisher?
Buy the unit already certified and tagged, and the question never comes up. Recent quotes for new ABC units in Norco included certification. Holding only a receipt? Confirm with the Norco Eastvale Fire Marshal's Office before your inspection.
Is a popped-out sprinkler head a fire safety hazard?
Treat it as one. A head knocked out of position may not spray where it was designed to, and a damaged head can leak, so have it checked and replaced before your next inspection.
Is hydro testing included in the annual certification?
No. Hydro testing is a separate service on its own 5- or 12-year clock, depending on the extinguisher type.
Can you dispose of old or expired extinguishers?
Yes. Recent quotes put disposal of an old or expired unit at $3 each.