What you should know about fire alarm testing

Inspecting our fire alarm systems involves a visual examination to ensure each fire alarm device or subsystem is in place and is not damaged or obstructed in any way that would compromise its reliable operation. Testing each individual fire alarm device ensures that it will perform in accordance with its intended function.

Facilities & Services has a team of fire prevention professionals who oversee fire and life safety systems. Each building is assigned a dedicated fire prevention officer. Their role includes ensuring that these critical systems meet legislative compliance standards to ensure their readiness and reliability.

Fire alarm systems are tested monthly and annually. The testing is planned, scheduled, and communicated before it occurs.

Annual fire alarm testing

Annual fire alarm testing is comprehensive and can therefore span over multiple days or weeks depending on the size of the building. We test and inspect every bell, horn, pull station, heat detector, smoke detector, and sprinkler component. This ensures that our devices are functioning properly and are not damaged.

Monthly fire alarm testing

Our Fire Prevention team also manages monthly fire alarm tests. Monthly tests serve as regular checks and are intended to flag any issues that may emerge between annual tests.

How we minimize the impact on building occupants

For both annual and monthly testing, we send service alerts to notify our campus partners in advance. This helps occupants prepare accordingly. Our Fire Prevention team is here to ensure that safety is maximized while disruptions are minimized.

Annual fire alarm testing

• In residences, the Fire Prevention team and partner contractors conduct audible testing between 10 AM and 4 PM to avoid waking occupants during early morning hours. Audible signals are sounded in one-minute intervals with pauses until all audible devices have been checked and confirmed as functional. If alarms sound longer than one minute during testing, a real alarm is activated that is unrelated to testing and occupants must evacuate.
• In all other non-residence buildings, the testing during business hours is performed with bypassed audible signals to minimize the impact on occupants. The remaining testing, which requires audible alarms, is scheduled between midnight and 7 AM when buildings are least likely to be occupied.

Monthly fire alarm testing

• In non-residence buildings, we start testing early in the morning when occupancy is at its lowest.
• In residences, testing happens later in the day to minimize disruptions.
• Signals are sounded only once for a brief period. This confirms that the system is registering the alarm and activating the required outputs.

Service alerts

Facilities & Services issues alerts for service interruptions on campus, including fire alarm testing. Subscribe to service alerts.