NFPA Journal - May/June 2019 - 79

NFPACONFERENCE&EXPO
SANANTONIO2019
followed by the most relevant questions related to the 2020 edition of
NFPA 25.

Is NFPA 25 retroactive? Not
an uncommon question...
Another way of phrasing the question
might be: If I had a water-based fire
protection system installed in 1996, am
I required to use the current edition
of NFPA 25 to perform my inspection, testing, and maintenance (ITM)
activities?
Depending on where you are, a
specific edition of NFPA 25 may be
adopted by your local jurisdiction as
the enforceable standard. Regardless,
NFPA 25 is written with the intent that
the current edition always be applied
by those performing ITM activities.
These activities are not intended as a
review for compliance with an installation standard, but as a review for wear
and tear on the system.
Among the updated items in the
2020 edition is one that applies to

signage. Starting with the 2014 edition
and slightly modified in this latest
edition are new requirements for any
missing signs-including information
signs, hydraulic design information
signs, or a list of sprinklers installed
in the property-to be posted in the
sprinkler cabinet. These signs must be
provided whether the standard used for
the installation of the system required
them or not.
At first glance, these might seem like
installation requirements, but through
much debate, the technical committee
decided that this information is critical
and necessary to perform and meet
many of the ITM activities outlined in
NFPA 25. As you might imagine, producing a missing sign can be labor intensive
and can result in a significant expense
to an owner-which is why a requirement to provide a missing hydraulic
design sign has been one of the most
controversial committee debates, one
pursued extensively once again this past
revision cycle.

CONFERENCE
SESSIONS
Data Collection for Inspection,
Testing, and Maintenance
Tuesday, June 18, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Alexandra Norton, Xaap; William
Koffel, Koffel Associates; Rodger
Reiswig and Terry Victor, Johnson
Controls
Connected Technologies for
Water-Based Fire Protection
Systems
Tuesday, June 18, 2-3:30 p.m.
Christina Francis, Procter & Gamble;
Terry Victor, Johnson Controls
Electronic Sprinkler Technology
for Warehouse Operations
Tuesday, June 18, 3:45-4:45 p.m.
Alex Riley, Jenna Troio, and Milosh
Puchovsky, Worcester Polytechnic
Institute
Sprinkler System Corrosion:
The Science, the Challenges, and
Solutions
Wednesday, June 19, 8-9 a.m.
David Fuller, FM Approvals;
Paul Su, FM Global

NFPA 25-2020, Standard for
the Inspection, Testing, and
Maintenance of Water-Based
Fire Protection Systems:
Proposed Changes
Wednesday, June 19, 2-3:30 p.m.
Robert Caputo, Fire & Life Safety
America; William Koffel, Koffel
Associates
Fire Pump Testing Requirements,
Analysis, and Interpretation
Wednesday, June 19, 3:45-4:45 p.m.
Bruce Clarke, AIG

EXPOPLUS
What's Wrong with This Picture?
Water-Based System Deficiencies
Tuesday, June 18, 2:30-3:30 p.m.
Brian O'Connor and Shawn
Mahoney, NFPA
Sprinkler System FAQs and Q&A
Wednesday, June 19, 10-11 a.m.
Chad Duffy and Jonathan Hart,
NFPA

Automated inspection
and testing
Automated inspection and testing
consists of devices and methods that
allow inspection and testing activities
required by NFPA 25 to be performed
from remote or distant locations,
eliminating the need for a person to
be physically present at the building
or facility. Although choosing to equip
a building or facility with equipment
that can be used to perform automated
inspections and testing may have additional upfront costs for an owner, it has
the potential to result in substantial
savings over the life of the system.
Requirements were first introduced
in the 2017 edition to permit this type
of inspection and testing, and they have
been expanded in the 2020 edition to
cover some of the new technology that
has been introduced to the industry.
This includes a flow switch capable of
simulating water flow and identifying
that the paddle is present and attached
to the flow device without physically
flowing any water. In general, automated activities must emulate or meet
the intent of the test that would be
performed if a person were on-site.
Automated inspection and testing
equipment can consist of valves with
a motorized function capable of opening and closing the valve, cameras for
observation, or auxiliary pumps for
circulating water, such as those on
the side of a system riser capable of
circulating water past a flow switch, to
mention a few.
The requirements ensure that the
equipment is listed where necessary
and that failure of an automated piece
of equipment cannot impede the ability
of the fire protection system to function
unless there is a supervisory signal that
identifies an issue, and personnel can
be sent to investigate and rectify the
problem. A failure must also result in
an audible signal.
NFPA 25 has led the charge on
automated inspections and testing,
and since NFPA 25 does not cover the
design and installation of the components used to perform these tests, many
of the installation standards have had
to play catch-up. The most recent revision cycle added requirements to the
N F PA . O R G / J O U R N A L * NFPA JOURNAL

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NFPA Journal - May/June 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - May/June 2019
