The fire safety inspection checklist.
The short version: the business permit is not renewed without a Fire Safety Inspection Certificate (FSIC), and the FSIC comes after a BFP inspector walks the building. Most renewals fall in January, so inspections and orders run from November to January. This page lists the equipment the inspector looks at — extinguishers, fire hose and hose cabinets, emergency lights, exit signs, smoke detectors, sprinkler heads and valves — what passes, and a tick-list to print and walk the building with before the visit. RA 9514 (the Fire Code) and its IRR govern; the inspector's findings for your building are final.
How the inspection fits the permit renewal
Plain summary · steps vary slightly by LGU
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. File the renewal | At the city or municipal business permit office, usually within the first 20 days of January; the fire code fees are assessed with it |
| 2. BFP inspection | An inspector checks the equipment and exits below against the Fire Code and the occupancy of the building |
| 3. Notice to Comply | If anything is missing, expired or not working, the BFP lists it with a period to correct it, then re-inspects |
| 4. FSIC issued | With the FSIC the LGU releases the permit; keep it posted on the premises |
Equipment has to be on the wall, tagged and working on the day — an item on order does not pass. Ordering in November leaves time for delivery and installation before the January rush.
The tick-list
Walk the building with this · tick what passes · order what does not
Fire extinguishers
| ✓ | Item | What the inspector checks | If it fails, order |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extinguisher on every floor and in each area | None farther than 23 m walking distance from any point; at least one per floor; nothing blocking it | ABC dry chemical, 10 lb, Spiderking dry chemical | |
| Right class for the hazard | CO2 or clean agent at panels, generators and server rooms; Class K at commercial kitchens; ABC for general areas | Spiderking HCFC clean agent | |
| Gauge in the green, pin and seal in place | Pressure gauge needle in the green band; safety pin and tamper seal intact; hose not cracked | Recharge, or a replacement unit | |
| Maintenance tag in date | Annual service tag with date and servicing company; hydrostatic test date within 12 years for dry chemical, 5 years for CO2 | Service, or a replacement unit | |
| Mounted and signed | On a bracket or cabinet, top no higher than about 1.5 m, with a sign showing where it is | Brackets, cabinets and signs with the order |
Fire hose and hose cabinet
| ✓ | Item | What the inspector checks | If it fails, order |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hose cabinet at each standpipe outlet | Cabinet on every floor where the building has a standpipe; door opens, not locked or blocked, glass or label marked FIRE HOSE | Fire hose cabinet | |
| 1-1/2 in hose, racked and connected | Occupant-use hose connected to the valve, folded on the rack, no rot, mildew, cuts or kinks; coupling tight | 1-1/2 in × 50 ft single-jacket hose, hose rack nipple | |
| Nozzle on the hose | Nozzle present and the right thread; not missing or swapped for a garden nozzle | Fire hose nozzle | |
| Hose valve opens and does not leak | Angle valve turns by hand, no drip at the stem or the hose connection | Fire hose valve | |
| 2-1/2 in outlet for the fire service | Where the standpipe has a fire-department outlet, the valve is capped and reachable | 2-1/2 in × 50 ft double-jacket hose |
Emergency lights and exit signs
| ✓ | Item | What the inspector checks | If it fails, order |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emergency light on the exit route | Lights corridors, stairs and exit doors; test button works; battery runs at least 90 minutes | Omni AEL-390, Omni AEL-190 | |
| Exit sign over every exit door | Lit and readable, at each exit and at each turn where the exit is not in sight; arrow points the right way | LED exit sign, single face, double face, with arrow | |
| Exit sign stays lit on power failure | Battery-backed; still lit when the breaker is switched off | Exit sign and emergency light combo | |
| Exits clear and doors unlocked | No stock in corridors or stairs; exit doors open from inside without a key; fire doors close on their own | No purchase — clear and re-sign the route |
Smoke detectors and fire alarm
| ✓ | Item | What the inspector checks | If it fails, order |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke detector where the occupancy calls for one | Rooms where people sleep (dormitories, hotels, staff quarters) and as the alarm plan requires; not painted, bagged or covered | Standalone photoelectric smoke detector, 10-year sealed-battery alarm | |
| Heat detector in kitchens and garages | Heat, not smoke, where cooking or exhaust would set off false alarms | Conventional heat detector | |
| Detectors wired to the panel test | Test button or smoke test sounds the alarm; panel shows no trouble or fault light | Conventional smoke detector with base, 4-zone panel | |
| Pull station and bell | Manual pull station at exits, bell or horn heard throughout the floor | Manual pull station, fire alarm bell, horn strobe |
Sprinkler heads and valves
| ✓ | Item | What the inspector checks | If it fails, order |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sprinkler heads clean and clear | Not painted, corroded, taped or loaded with dust; at least 457 mm (18 in) clear between the deflector and stored goods | Sprinkler heads, concealed sprinklers | |
| Spare-head cabinet | At least 6 spare heads for up to 300 sprinklers, 12 up to 1,000, 24 above that, each type and temperature, with the sprinkler wrench | Spare heads matched to the installed type | |
| Control valves open and supervised | Riser gate and butterfly valves fully open, sealed or fitted with a tamper switch | OS&Y gate valve, UL/FM, grooved butterfly valve with tamper switch | |
| Alarm and check valves working | Alarm check valve trims and gauges in place; check valve holds; water-flow alarm sounds on the inspector’s test | Alarm check valve, grooved swing check valve, UL | |
| Fire department connection | Siamese connection outside, capped, signed and not blocked by parking or planters | Siamese twin connection |
Sprinkler and alarm repairs beyond swapping heads and valves are done by the fire-protection contractor who maintains the system; the BFP asks for their maintenance report.
Extinguisher by class
Which unit goes where · common sizes
| Class | Fire | Agent | Common size | Where |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Wood, paper, cloth, plastic | ABC dry chemical | 10 lb | Offices, stores, classrooms, corridors |
| B | Fuel, oil, paint, solvent | ABC dry chemical, foam or CO2 | 20 lb | Generators, fuel stores, garages, workshops |
| C | Live electrical equipment | CO2 or clean agent (HCFC) | 10 lb | Panel rooms, server rooms, control rooms |
| K | Cooking oil and fat | Wet chemical | 6 L | Commercial kitchens with fryers |
What to send for a quote
- The Notice to Comply, if you already have one — we quote against the listed items
- Floors and floor area, and the type of business (office, store, warehouse, restaurant, dormitory)
- How many extinguishers, emergency lights and exit signs per floor, or a floor plan
- For sprinkler buildings: the head type and temperature rating, and the valve sizes
- Hose size and length, and whether you need the cabinet or only the hose and nozzle
- Site address, so the quote includes delivery
Everything on this list is stocked or sourced from Dasmariñas, Cavite — Drychem and Spiderking extinguishers, fire hose, cabinets, hose valves and nozzles, Omni emergency lights and exit signs, Dahua detectors and alarm panels, sprinkler heads and UL/FM valves — and delivered nationwide. Send the list or the Notice to Comply and we quote it back the same day.
Common questions
Do I need a Fire Safety Inspection Certificate to renew my business permit?
Yes. Under RA 9514 the LGU does not release a new or renewed business permit until the BFP issues the Fire Safety Inspection Certificate (FSIC) for the premises. Renewals fall in the first weeks of January in most LGUs, so the inspection and any repairs are best done in November and December.
What happens if the inspector finds something missing?
The BFP issues a Notice to Comply listing the defects and the period to correct them. Once the items are in place the building is re-inspected and the FSIC follows. Fixing the list before the visit avoids the second trip and the delay on the permit.
How many fire extinguishers does a shop or office need?
The Fire Code IRR follows NFPA 10: at least one per floor, none farther than 23 m walking distance from any point for ordinary (Class A) fires, plus a unit sized for the hazard at every kitchen, generator, fuel store and electrical room. The inspector confirms the count for your floor area and occupancy.
Which extinguisher for an electrical room or a kitchen?
Electrical rooms, panels and server rooms take CO2 or a clean-agent (HCFC) unit, which leaves no powder on the equipment. Commercial kitchens with deep fryers take a Class K wet-chemical unit. ABC dry chemical covers most other areas.
How long must emergency lights stay on?
At least 90 minutes on battery after the power fails, lighting the exit route, stairs and exit doors. The inspector presses the test button, so a unit with a dead battery fails even if it lights on mains power.
How many spare sprinkler heads should a building keep?
NFPA 13, as adopted by the Fire Code, asks for a spare-head cabinet with at least 6 heads for up to 300 sprinklers, 12 for 300 to 1,000 and 24 for more than 1,000, covering each type and temperature rating installed, plus the sprinkler wrench.
What does Southend supply from this list?
Extinguishers (ABC dry chemical, HCFC clean agent), fire hose, hose cabinets, hose valves and nozzles, emergency lights, exit signs, smoke and heat detectors, alarm bells, pull stations and panels, sprinkler heads, UL/FM gate, butterfly, check and alarm check valves, and siamese connections, from Dasmariñas, Cavite with nationwide delivery. Send the list for a Same-Day Quote.
Related
Standards referenced. RA 9514 (Fire Code of the Philippines) and its Revised IRR · NFPA 10, 13, 14, 72 and 101 as referenced by the IRR. This page is a planning and ordering list, not a fire safety evaluation — the BFP inspector's findings and the building's approved fire-protection plan govern.