Most San Pedro calls are about extinguishers
Most of the calls we get from San Pedro are about fire extinguishers. Owners usually ask how many units the building needs and whether the ones on the wall still pass. Here's what we hear most.
- How many do I need? The count depends on layout. Code spaces extinguishers by travel distance, generally so no one walks more than 75 feet to reach one, with at least one on every floor, and the technician works out the number on site, floor by floor.
- Bracket or cabinet? A surface-mount cabinet works where a bare bracket on a hallway wall is a poor fit.
- What about the garage? Ask us to include garages and underground parking in the survey.
- My tag is green, no date. Without a current service date, the tag can't show this year's maintenance, so plan on having the unit serviced.
Recent San Pedro quotes have run $35 to $40 per extinguisher for the annual inspection and $85 plus tax for a new 5 lb unit installed on a wall bracket, with surface-mount cabinets at $55 each. The site survey was free. Parts cost extra only when a unit needs them. We've also quoted emergency light push tests at $25 per light and pickup of an old or leaking extinguisher at a $30 minimum.
The schedule is simple. You give each unit a quick visual check every month. A licensed technician services it once a year and records that on the tag. Stored-pressure dry chemical units also get an internal teardown every 6 years and a hydrostatic test every 12, while CO2, water and Class K units are hydro tested every 5 years. See annual extinguisher certification and hydrostatic testing in San Pedro for details.
San Pedro faces the Pacific. Salt air is hard on exposed metal, so look for rust on the cylinder, valve and bracket of any unit kept outdoors or in a garage.
Fire system service in San Pedro
Fire system service means inspecting, testing and maintaining the systems built into a building: sprinklers, standpipes, fire pumps and fire alarms. Because San Pedro is a neighborhood of the City of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Fire Department sets the local testing calendar. Its Chief's Regulation No. 4 Unit, part of the Bureau of Fire Prevention & Public Safety, runs the program.
- Every year: fire alarm systems, fire pumps, and dry-pipe, pre-action and deluge sprinkler systems.
- Every 5 years: wet automatic sprinkler systems and standpipes.
The clock starts at the test. A certified tester must file the results through The Compliance Engine within 7 days, and any defect found must be corrected within 30 days. Miss those and the job isn't finished.
State rules run alongside the city's. California Title 19 requires a 5-year sprinkler service and certification by a State Fire Marshal licensed contractor, and NFPA 25 adds quarterly and annual inspections between the bigger tests. Pump trouble counts too. If a jockey pump controller isn't cycling, describe it when you call.
Alarms, sprinklers, hydrants and kitchens
Each has its own page.
- Fire alarm service and fire alarm repair. Some alarm devices need checks more often than the yearly test.
- Fire sprinkler service and new sprinkler installation. New systems and remodels go through LAFD Fire Development Services for plan check, permits and field inspections, and none of its offices (Metro, West LA and Van Nuys) is in the Harbor area.
- Private fire hydrants. NFPA 25 calls for annual inspection and flow testing; confirm the requirement for your site with LAFD. See annual hydrant testing, hydrant maintenance and hydrant repair.
- Kitchen hood suppression. These systems are inspected every 6 months under NFPA 96 and NFPA 17A. Older dry chemical systems don't meet UL 300, the test standard for wet chemical systems over cooking appliances. A kitchen with a hood system also needs a Class K extinguisher. Restaurants with sprinklers can book restaurant sprinkler inspections.
- Fire extinguisher training. If you provide extinguishers for employees, OSHA requires training at hire and at least once a year after that.
Who does the work, and where we go
California work for 1 Pro Fire is performed 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 extinguisher service and for inspection, testing and maintenance of water-based fire protection systems.
Technicians come to your building with their own equipment. Recent San Pedro extinguisher quotes had no separate trip fee.
We work at street addresses in 90731 and 90732. The other two San Pedro ZIP codes, 90733 and 90734, are PO boxes only. Outside San Pedro, see our Los Angeles County fire protection and Orange County fire protection pages.
To book a survey or ask a question, call (213) 568-0188 or email socal@1profire.com.
San Pedro fire protection questions
Is a yearly extinguisher inspection required by code?
Yes. Each extinguisher needs maintenance once a year by a licensed technician. The date goes on the tag.
I heard the fire department moved inspections to a multi-year cycle. Is that right?
Not for extinguishers. They still need annual service. The 5-year interval in the LAFD program applies to wet sprinkler systems and standpipes, which may be the source of the mix-up.
Is there a charge for the survey visit?
No. Recent San Pedro surveys have been free, and the technician uses that visit to count the extinguishers and cabinets each floor needs.
Is your company located in San Pedro?
San Pedro is part of our listed service area. We come to you.