Your restaurant has two fire systems on two schedules
A sprinklered restaurant usually has two fire systems. The ceiling sprinklers cover the dining room, storage and back of house. The hood system covers the cooking line. Each one runs on its own clock, and either can come up when the fire inspector walks through.
- Ceiling sprinklers: quarterly and annual inspections under NFPA 25, plus the 5-year internal pipe assessment and gauge replacement or testing, which California Title 19 requires as a certified 5-year service.
- Hood suppression: inspected every 6 months under NFPA 96 and NFPA 17A.
- Class K extinguisher: required in any kitchen with a suppression system.
This page covers the sprinklers. For the hood, see our Paramount kitchen fire suppression service.
Restaurant sprinkler testing in Paramount
Inspection and testing happen on the same visit. The technician looks over the parts of the system you can see, then flows water to prove that the parts hidden in the walls and ceiling still do their job. A typical annual visit goes like this:
- Check that control valves are open.
- Read the gauges.
- Look at each head for grease, paint, corrosion or damage, and for boxes stacked too close below it.
- Open the inspector's test or main drain to confirm water flows and the flow alarm sounds.
- Record what passed and what didn't.
Grease is the kitchen problem. NFPA 25 calls for replacing a head that is loaded with grease or paint. Wiping it down doesn't count. If the heads in your building have been in service for 50 years, NFPA 25 also requires that they be replaced or that samples be sent out for testing.
Failed parts are a separate job, covered on our restaurant sprinkler repair page for Paramount.
Who checks your paperwork in Paramount
Fire service in Paramount comes from the county. The Los Angeles County Fire Department covers the city, and its Fire Prevention Division does business fire inspections through the East Regional Office at 19030 Pioneer Blvd in Cerritos, (562) 860-8014. Questions about a notice or its deadline go there.
The city's fire code is the Los Angeles County Fire Code, adopted by reference. You can read more on the LACoFD Fire Prevention site.
Licensed for the sprinklers and the hood
California work for 1 Pro Fire is done by Hedrick Fire Protection. Hedrick holds C-16 (fire protection) and C-10 (electrical) contractor licenses and is licensed by the California State Fire Marshal under Title 19 for inspection, testing and maintenance of water-based fire protection systems, including the 5-year certification. Hedrick is also licensed to install and service commercial kitchen hood suppression systems. One contractor can handle both.
Booking an inspection
Paramount (90723) is in our service area. Have the dates of your last annual and 5-year service ready if you can find them. Missing records are fine to mention up front. Call (213) 568-0188 or email socal@1profire.com.
More for Paramount: all Paramount fire protection services, fire sprinkler service in Paramount and fire extinguisher service in Paramount. Running restaurants in more than one city? See restaurant sprinkler inspections in Los Angeles County and Orange County.
Restaurant sprinkler questions
Is an annual or a 5-year sprinkler inspection due?
Check the riser tag or your last service report for both dates. Annual inspections come from NFPA 25, and the 5-year service and certification is a California Title 19 requirement, so if the 5-year date has passed or nobody knows it, plan for the 5-year.
Do you also do suppression system inspections?
Yes. Hood systems are inspected every 6 months.
Do you service the Paramount area?
Yes. Paramount is in our service area.