A. Contractor qualifications should always be checked in any building project, especially when it involves a life-safety device such as Automatic Fire Suppression.  Always ask questions and request hard copies of your contractors' qualifications.  Your contractor should be proud to share his/her qualifications with you. 

This answer is twofold: (1) Legal requirements of a contractor and (2) Knowledge requirements of a contractor.

(1) Each state has different licensing requirements for automatic fire suppression / fire sprinkler contractors.  Michigan state law requires that the contractor maintains a Mechanical Contractors License in the classification of Fire Suppression.  Michigan also requires any Contractor who designs the systems to obtain Act 144 certification on the Mechanical Contractors License.  Most local jurisdictions will also require designs by NICET certified personnel.  All of these qualifications are rewarded with certificates that the contractor should possess (wall copies & wallet copies). You may call Michigan's Department of Labor & Economic Growth, Bureau of Construction Codes, Mechanical Division at 517-241-9325 to verify the Mechanical License.  Clearline Design maintains all of these qualifications.  A licensed individual is present at every job-site.  Also, it is best to work with a company that is insured for fire suppression installation (or the specific type of service you require).  This is not a legal requirement, but if they carry insurance for their work it is more likely (not a guarantee) that they carry the proper licenses and documentation.  Finally, many companies hire a third party to design the fire systems that they install.  Sometimes these companies never visit the jobsite and may not have the proper qualifications.  This is not a recommended practice.

(2) Looking for a qualified contractor is more than looking at the paperwork that they possess.  Unfortunately, there are dishonest and/or uneducated contractors.  Although a license is required, the installer/technician may still be uneducated and unlicensed.  The license obtained by one individual can qualify a whole company to offer the service.  This is one major benefit of contracting a small business for this type of service. At a small business, such as Clearline Design, a licensee will be present on every project.  The only way to be sure that your installer/technician is qualified is to ask a lot of questions.  Ask yourself, does the person seem confident and knowledgeable in their answers?  Experience is a definite plus with a contractor. Once again larger companies may boast a large project resume, but each installer/technician may have only experienced one type of job-site.  Small businesses on the other hand usually have more varied experience among the installers/technicians because all of the installers/technicians work on all of the projects.  Finally, watch out for statements such as, "we have 100 years of combined experience".  This may mean they have 50 employees, each with only 2 years of experience.

Clearline Design maintains all of the necessary qualifications to practice in Michigan, as well as several other states.  A licensee is present at all of the jobsites.  No project is completed without the approval of our licensee.  Our product is designed in-house by Clearline Design for present and future fire suppression needs.

A. The National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA) has written an article that addresses this issue.  "Fire Sprinklers Save Lives and Money... The Economics of Retrofit" can be located here.  This paper gives analysis of buildings that are retrofitted with Fire sprinkler systems.  Similar analysis also applies to new construction.  "There are at least six ways in which fire sprinklers help put money back in the pocket of a building owner: Insurance Savings, Income Tax Deductions, Life Safety Code Compliance, Federal Legislation, Liability Avoidance, and No Business Interruption."    NFSA also addresses specific retrofit criteria and economics of Fraternity and Sorority houses in "Fire Sprinkler Retrofit Guide: Understanding Fire Sprinkler Installation Criteria in the Retrofitting of Fraternity and Sorority Houses" located here.

If you are an owner of a nursing home - Currently there is a bill pending HR 4491: To provide loans and grants for fire sprinkler retrofitting in nursing facilities (text located here).

A.  Michigan has adopted the NFPA 25 for use in determining requirements for routine inspection, testing, and maintenance.  The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) specifies the minimum requirements in NFPA 25: Inspection, Testing, & Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems.   Your local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) may require methods in excess of those required by the NFPA.  You should consult you local AHJ (the individual or department with statutory authority, usually the building department and/or Fire Marshal) for their specific requirements. Click here to locate your local Fire Marshal.

Due to the extent of the standards and copyright protections the entire content of the NFPA requirements cannot be given here.  However, we have prepared the following tables to give a summary of some of NFPA's minimum requirements. 

Detailed descriptions of the inspections, testing, and maintenance requirements are located at the NFPA website where you can either purchase the code books or review the standards online.