Harris County Fire Alarm Approval and Installation Steps

by Rick Overholt on January 28, 2016

Fire Code Review Sheet

Before Submitting

Before an alarm company can submit fire alarm plans to be reviewed to the Harris County Fire Marshal, the business or property owner must have submitted a FCRS, or Fire Code Review Sheet to the Fire Marshals office and the alarm company must have a copy of that sheet attached to the drawings being submitted. (The only exception: an existing building which has been used for at least ten years in the same occupancy type, with no structural changes such as exit doors or interior rooms.) This is the webpage for the Harris County Fire Code:  http://www.eng.hctx.net/permits/Fire/Fire-Code/Welcome-to-Fire-Code

 

Need Help navigating the Fire Code? If you don’t have a FCRS (Fire Code Review Sheet) We recommend you speak with CDI Douglass Pye Architects. 713-783-5900. mailto:bsp@cdi-douglass-pye.com Tell them OMNI Fire and Security sent you. They have helped thousands of business owners with commercial remodel plans, and can handle the details for an affordable price. Their website is www.cdi-douglass-pye.com.

If you are only seeking a budgetary quote, we only need a rough drawing or hand sketch of the rooms, the room names, the room dimensions, and what type of business it will be, as well as what is the Fire Marshal jurisdiction the property is in.

Below are the typical steps for your alarm company to obtain your fire alarm permit:

  1. Provide us a digital copy of the drawings for the building. Rooms should be named and dimensions of rooms in place. A .DWG or CAD Drawing will save you time and money, otherwise our Licensed Planner must create a CAD Drawing. It’s less expensive to modify an existing CAD than to create a new one.
  2. OMNI will prepare a quote based on the drawing and the occupancy or use type of the building. (Day care, Office, Warehouse, Assembly, Church, etc). The quote may have to be adjusted after the fire marshal reviews the plan.
  3. OMNI will forward the quote to the client. After your approval, the Alarm Planner will do the final drawings, calculations, and attach all the necessary manufactures information on the equipment we are proposing.
  4. When the Plan Review department finishes reviewing the plan, they will advise OMNI if it was approved, in which case we may begin work. If it is not approved, we will adjust accordingly and resubmit. If the review requires a substantial amount of additional equipment, OMNI will consult with the you before proceeding.
  5. Once final approvals are in, we can begin running the wiring. In some cases the Fire Marshal Inspectors will want to view the wiring before the walls and ceilings are complete.
  6. After all equipment is mounted and tested, OMNI will advise the client so the final inspection can be scheduled. Harris County will only schedule an inspection with notification by the client. The alarm company cannot schedule the inspection.
  7. During the final inspection, the Fire inspector will also look for other issues such as ceiling tiles not in place, open electrical boxes, improper door locks, exit signs, etc. He will also observe our technicians testing all the alarm devices and any interconnection with the air conditioning system, and electric locks.
  8. If any discrepancies are found, a re-inspection will be scheduled.

This is the procedure at the time of this writing. This procedure subject to change.

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