NFPA 10 and California Title 19 service · Phone (213) 568-0188 · Email socal@1profire.com
Extinguisher tags expire. Inspectors check them. In California, the annual service on that tag has to come from a firm and a technician licensed by the State Fire Marshal under Title 19, and NFPA 10 sets what the technician checks on each unit. We service portable extinguishers in commercial buildings and at event sites across Riverside County, which is one of our listed service areas.
Three dates to check on every extinguisher
Take one extinguisher off the wall and look it over. You're checking three things.
- The annual tag. A certified technician services each extinguisher once a year and writes the date on the tag. On a typical visit the technician checks the gauge, the pin and tamper seal, the hose and nozzle, the label and the cylinder body, then makes sure the unit is mounted where it belongs.
- The six-year teardown. Stored-pressure dry chemical units get internal maintenance every six years. The unit is emptied, checked inside and recharged.
- The hydrostatic test date. Dry chemical cylinders are pressure tested every 12 years. CO2, water and wet chemical (Class K) units are tested every 5 years.
Between visits, the owner does a quick visual check every month. Is the gauge in the green? Is the unit in its place? If the stamp on a cylinder shows it's due, see hydrostatic testing in Riverside County.
Riverside County has more than one fire marshal
The Riverside County Fire Department works with CAL FIRE. Together they provide fire and emergency services to unincorporated areas and 20 partners: 19 cities plus the Rubidoux community services district.
Inspections are split up further. The county's Office of the Fire Marshal handles plan review and construction inspection for unincorporated areas and contract cities, plus fire and life-safety inspections of state-regulated occupancies. Some partner cities still run their own fire marshal office (Banning, Beaumont, Indio, Lake Elsinore, Menifee, Moreno Valley, Temecula and Wildomar). Coachella does its own inspections too.
Nine cities have their own fire protection: Blythe, Calimesa, Canyon Lake, Cathedral City, Corona, Hemet, Murrieta, Palm Springs and Riverside. Idyllwild is covered by its own fire protection district. If your building is in one of those, ask that department which office inspects businesses. The service itself is the same everywhere. A Title 19 tag done to NFPA 10 counts the same in Indio as it does in Corona.
Is the right class on the wall?
A current tag on the wrong extinguisher won't help you in a fire. Each class covers one kind of fuel:
- A: ordinary combustibles like paper, wood and cloth
- B: flammable liquids
- C: energized electrical equipment
- D: combustible metals
- K: cooking oils and fats
A kitchen with a hood suppression system also needs a Class K portable. The hood system runs on its own six-month schedule, which our fire kitchen service covers. If you give staff extinguishers to use, OSHA requires you to train them when they're hired and at least once a year after that (see fire extinguisher training). Portable extinguishers fall under California Fire Code Section 906. Each city adopts the code through its own ordinance, so ask your fire marshal which edition applies at your address.
Who is allowed to do the work
In California, 1 Pro Fire's work is done by Hedrick Fire Protection. Hedrick holds C-16 (fire protection) and C-10 (electrical) contractor licenses and is licensed by the State Fire Marshal under Title 19 to service portable extinguishers. Ask any vendor to show you the same.
Events with dozens of vendors
Events are a different job. You have many owners, many extinguishers and one deadline. At a rodeo event in Norco, we certified extinguishers for 60 vendors in one service day. Read how the Norco rodeo extinguisher certification worked.
Book extinguisher service
Send us the address, how many extinguishers you have and their types if you know them. Call (213) 568-0188 or email socal@1profire.com.
Some cities have their own page: fire extinguisher service in Corona, Temecula and Palm Springs. You can also see all fire protection services in Riverside County, including fire sprinkler service.
Riverside County extinguisher questions
How often do extinguishers need service?
Once a year, by a certified technician, with the date on the tag. Owners also do a quick visual check every month.
Is my extinguisher due for a hydrostatic test?
Check the date stamped on the cylinder. Dry chemical units are tested every 12 years, and CO2, water and wet chemical units every 5 years.
My city has its own fire department. Does the service change?
No. The annual service and tag follow Title 19 and NFPA 10 anywhere in the county. Only the inspecting office changes, so check with your city's fire marshal.
Do you service extinguishers for one-day events?
Yes. At a rodeo event in Norco, we certified extinguishers for 60 vendors in one service day.
Extinguisher service across Riverside County
Annual tags, internal maintenance and cylinder testing in one place.
- Annual NFPA 10 service recorded on a Title 19 tag
- Six-year internal maintenance for stored-pressure dry chemical units
- Hydrostatic testing on the 5-year and 12-year cycles