Glossary
Fire protection inspection and back-office glossary
42 terms in plain language, written in our own words. For official definitions, see the adopted code.
- Accounts receivable aging
- A report showing unpaid invoices grouped by how long they have been outstanding.
- Adopted edition
- The specific edition of a code that a state or town has made law. It may be older than the newest edition.
- The office or official that enforces the fire code for a building, usually the local fire marshal or building official, sometimes an insurer. Often shortened to AHJ.
- Backflow preventer
- A valve assembly that keeps sprinkler water from flowing back into the drinking water supply.
- Churn test
- Running a fire pump without flowing water to confirm it starts and runs normally. Also called a no-flow test.
- Contractor license
- A license that lets a person or business contract for and supervise fire protection work.
- Control valve
- A valve that turns the water supply to a sprinkler system on or off.
- Critical deficiency
- A deficiency that could affect how the system performs in a fire, even though it is still in service.
- Deficiency
- A condition found during inspection or testing that needs correcting.
- Deluge system
- A system with open sprinklers or nozzles; when its valve opens, water flows from all of them at once.
- Dry pipe sprinkler system
- A system whose pipes hold pressurized air or nitrogen; water enters only after a sprinkler opens. Used where pipes could freeze.
- Fire alarm control unit
- The panel that receives signals from devices and triggers alarms and notifications.
- Fire department connection
- The outside inlet the fire department uses to pump extra water into a sprinkler or standpipe system.
- Fire marshal
- The local or state official responsible for fire code enforcement and fire investigations.
- Fire pump
- A pump that boosts water pressure for a fire protection system. It can be electric or diesel.
- Fire watch
- People assigned to patrol a building and watch for fire while protection is impaired.
- Follow-up sequence
- A planned series of reminders sent after a proposal until the customer answers.
- Grease buildup inspection
- Checking a kitchen exhaust system for grease deposits to decide whether it needs cleaning.
- Hydrostatic test
- Pressure testing a cylinder or piping with water to confirm it is sound.
- Impairment
- A condition where all or part of a system is out of service. It can be planned or an emergency.
- Inspection
- A visual check that equipment is in place, undamaged and in normal condition.
- Inspection, testing and maintenance
- The three kinds of ongoing work codes require to keep fire protection systems reliable. Often shortened to ITM.
- Inspector's test connection
- A valve at the far end of a system used to simulate one sprinkler flowing and test the alarm.
- Journeyperson license
- A license for an individual trade worker who works under a licensed contractor. Some states say journeyman.
- Main drain test
- Flowing water through the main drain to check the water supply against earlier results.
- Maintenance
- Work done to keep equipment working, such as servicing, cleaning or replacing parts.
- National Fire Protection Association
- A nonprofit that publishes widely adopted fire and life safety codes and standards, such as NFPA 25 and NFPA 72.
- NFPA 10
- The standard for portable fire extinguishers, including inspection, maintenance and hydrostatic testing.
- NFPA 25
- The standard for inspecting, testing and maintaining water-based fire protection systems such as sprinklers, standpipes and fire pumps.
- NFPA 72
- The national fire alarm and signaling code, including how alarm systems are inspected and tested.
- NFPA 96
- The standard for ventilation control and fire protection of commercial cooking operations (kitchen hoods and exhaust).
- Noncritical deficiency
- A deficiency that needs correcting but would not stop the system from working.
- Notification appliance
- A horn, strobe or speaker that warns occupants.
- Preaction system
- A system that needs a detection signal before water enters the pipes, often used where accidental discharge would be costly.
- Repair proposal
- A written quote to the building owner listing deficiencies, the repairs and the price. Sometimes called a deficiency quote.
- Report submission portal
- An online system some towns require contractors to use to file inspection reports.
- Sensitivity test
- A check that a smoke detector responds within its listed range of smoke density.
- Standpipe
- Piping with hose connections in stairwells or floors for firefighters to connect hoses.
- Supervisory signal
- An alarm panel signal that something needs attention, such as a closed valve, but is not a fire.
- Testing
- Operating equipment to prove it works, such as flowing water or setting off a detector.
- Waterflow alarm
- A device that signals when water is flowing in a sprinkler system.
- Wet pipe sprinkler system
- A system whose pipes are always full of water, so water flows as soon as a sprinkler opens.
Related: inspection frequency lookup, deficiency severity guide.
Last reviewed October 2026.