Security & Fire Alarm System Inspection Form
Use this security and fire alarm system inspection form to document one site's full low-voltage life-safety and security stack in a single visit — intrusion (burglar) alarm, fire alarm devices, access control, and CCTV/video surveillance, along with standby power, tamper supervision, and the central station signal test. It groups checks the way a low-voltage technician actually works a building: head-end panels and controllers first, then field devices, then the monitoring path, finishing with a deficiency list and dual sign-off. Print it for the clipboard, or run the same inspection in Forz: record Pass, Fail, or Bypass per device with photos and a digital signature, organize devices by system type with barcodes and locations, schedule each test on its own recurring frequency (14 intervals from daily through every 7 years), and let customers download the inspection PDF from the portal.
Security & Fire Alarm System Inspection Form
Security & Low Voltage · Form
Company: ______________
Date: ______________
Technician: ______________
Site & System Identification
- Property name, street address, and building or suite covered
- Building owner or responsible party and on-site contact name and phone
- Inspection company, technician name, and state alarm/low-voltage license number
- Inspection date, arrival time, and departure time
- Inspection type: monthly, quarterly, semiannual, or annual
- Systems present on site: intrusion, fire alarm, access control, CCTV/video surveillance
- Intrusion panel manufacturer, model, and firmware revision
- Access control head-end/controller manufacturer, model, and software version
- Video recorder type (NVR/DVR), manufacturer, model, and channel count
- Central/supervising station name, monitoring phone, and account number(s)
- Device counts: intrusion zones, card readers/doors, cameras, keypads
- As-built drawings, zone/point list, and prior inspection report available on site
Intrusion Alarm Control Panel & Power
- Visual: panel enclosure secured, locked, clean, and free of moisture or corrosion
- Visual: field wiring landed on terminals, no loose, nicked, or corroded connections
- Panel reports normal — no open zones, trouble, low-battery, or AC-loss conditions
- Each programmed partition/area arms and disarms from its assigned keypad(s)
- Entry and exit delay timers operate per program; abort/cancel window functions
- Primary AC present on a dedicated, labeled circuit; transformer secure and warm-not-hot
- Disconnect AC: panel reports AC-loss and runs on standby battery
- Standby battery free of swelling, leakage, corrosion, or heat damage; terminals tight
- Battery date code recorded; sealed lead-acid typically replaced on a commonly cited 3-5 year cycle or when capacity falls below rating (verify per manufacturer and AHJ)
- Battery holds the required standby duration under load (commonly 4 or 24 hours per AHJ/UL — verify by design)
- Event/history log reviewed; panel date and time set to current
- Enclosure and keypad tamper switches open the circuit and report a tamper signal
Intrusion Detection Devices
- Walk-test mode enabled at the panel before testing detection devices
- PIR/dual-tech motion detectors: walk the coverage pattern; confirm activation and correct zone/address
- Motion detector lenses clean, masking/anti-mask intact, mounting height and aim unchanged
- Door and window magnetic contacts: open each opening; confirm zone fault and gap within spec
- Glassbreak detectors: test with an acoustic simulator at rated range; confirm activation
- Shock/vibration and seismic sensors on safes/walls operate and report correct zone
- Hold-up/panic buttons and duress codes: operate each and confirm silent alarm to the station
- Photoelectric beams and perimeter devices align and trip at the protected line
- Environmental zones (water, low-temp, gas) where present operate and report
- Wireless devices report adequate signal strength and supervision; low-battery flags clear
- Every device label and zone description matches the as-built point list
Fire Alarm Devices (Where Tied to This System)
- Confirm scope: combination or integrated fire devices monitored here are tested per NFPA 72, not just the burglar panel
- Place fire alarm on test with the supervising station before initiating any fire signal
- Manual pull stations: operate each, confirm alarm and correct address, then reset
- Smoke detectors: functionally test with listed aerosol/test gas; confirm alarm and location label
- Heat detectors: test restorable spot types per manufacturer; confirm correct response
- Notification appliances: confirm horns/strobes activate; sound pressure meets required dBA above ambient
- Waterflow and valve tamper/supervisory switches operate and report where monitored
- Fire panel transfers to standby battery on AC loss and annunciates the trouble
- Restore fire alarm from test; confirm the station logged restoration to normal
Access Control System
- Controllers/door panels powered, communicating to the head-end, and reporting online
- Standby battery/UPS for controllers and locking power tested under AC loss
- Card/credential readers: present a valid credential at each reader; confirm grant and unlock
- Present an invalid/expired credential; confirm deny and that the event logs correctly
- Request-to-exit (REX) device releases the door and suppresses the forced-door alarm on egress
- Door position switch (DPS) reports open/closed accurately; door-held-open timer alarms
- Forced-door / door-forced-open event generates an alarm and logs at the head-end
- Electric strikes, maglocks, and electrified hardware lock and release fully; re-lock timing correct
- Fail-safe locks on egress doors release on power loss; fail-secure only where alternate egress exists
- Fire alarm / sprinkler interface drops locking power for immediate free egress on activation
- Delayed-egress doors: nuisance-delay release operates and door alarms (commonly 15s, up to 30s with AHJ approval)
- Door hardware, signage, and free-egress motion sensor unchanged from the approved design
CCTV / Video Surveillance
- Recorder (NVR/DVR) online, time/date synced, and reporting no drive or fan faults
- Hard-drive/RAID health checked; recording is active on all configured channels
- Retention verified: oldest available playback meets the required retention (commonly 30 days — verify per policy)
- Each camera produces a live image on its assigned channel with no signal loss
- Image quality acceptable: in focus, correct exposure, color/white balance, no excessive noise
- Camera housings, lenses, and domes cleaned; no spider webs, condensation, or obstructions
- Field of view matches the documented coverage; no drift, sag, or repositioning
- Day/night and IR illuminator performance verified in low-light conditions
- Motion-record, scheduling, and any analytics/alerts trigger and notify as configured
- Remote/mobile viewing and recorded-clip export tested and functional
- PoE switches, midspans, and power supplies secure, ventilated, and not overloaded
Central Station & Communications
- Place the system(s) on test with the central station before transmitting any signals
- Transmit and confirm receipt of burglary, fire, hold-up/panic, and trouble signals
- Confirm both communication paths report (e.g., IP plus cellular) on dual-path communicators
- Fault each path individually; confirm the path-failure/comm-trouble signal reaches the station
- Open/close (arm/disarm) reporting confirmed at the station where supervised
- Account number, premises address, and zone/point descriptions on file verified correct
- Call list, emergency contacts, passcodes, and dispatch instructions confirmed current
- Restore all systems from test; confirm the station logged restoration to normal
Results, Deficiencies & Sign-Off
- Overall result by system: intrusion, fire, access control, CCTV — Pass / Fail
- Deficiencies listed with system, device type, zone/address, and location
- Life-safety deficiencies (impaired egress, fire detection, or signaling) flagged and owner notified in writing
- Corrective actions completed on site or recommended with priority and parts needed
- Devices or zones left bypassed/disabled noted with reason and planned restoration date
- All systems restored to normal; central station verified all accounts reporting normal
- Building owner or representative briefed on results and any open items
- Technician signature, printed name, license number, and date
- Owner or authorized agent signature, printed name, and date
- Next inspection due dates by system and frequency
Technician signature
Customer / owner signature
This form spans multiple standards: fire alarm checks follow NFPA 72, central-station monitoring relates to UL 827, and egress-locking and door-release behavior is governed by NFPA 101 and the building/fire code (commonly cited values such as the 15-second delayed-egress release, 30-second extended delay with approval, and 24-hour standby are examples, not universal requirements). Intrusion and CCTV practices vary by manufacturer, insurer, and Underwriters Laboratories listing. Editions and locally adopted amendments vary; verify the applicable scope, test methods, and frequencies with your AHJ and the adopted edition. This template is a starting point for your records, not the standard itself, and does not replace inspection or testing performed by qualified personnel.
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