NFPA 72 sets the testing and inspection schedule for fire alarm systems, and the frequency depends on the device, not a single blanket rule. Most initiating devices, smoke detectors, heat detectors, pull stations, and the control panel itself get a full functional test annually. Components tied to water-based suppression, waterflow switches, tamper switches, and pressure switches, are typically tested more often than the annual baseline, often quarterly or semi-annually depending on the device and occupancy type. Battery backups get load-tested on their own schedule since a battery that reads full voltage can still fail under an actual load.
Your local fire marshal's office enforces this, and it's their record they're checking, not yours, when they ask. In our North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia service areas, that typically means an inspection report on file that ties back to the specific date and technician who performed it, not a verbal assurance that "it's been checked." We keep documentation your property can hand over on request, not something you have to go digging for the week of an inspection. That documentation matters most in code-heavy occupancies like assisted living and medical facilities, where inspectors check it every visit.
