LA Fire Suppression & Ansul Inspection
Los Angeles, California — 13 licensed inspectors found
Los Angeles restaurants and food trucks need a current NFPA 17A/96 six-month tag on the kitchen wet-chemical system. Hood cleaning is a different trade and does not certify discharge readiness.
In California, a company that services kitchen suppression systems for a fee needs either a State Fire Marshal "A" license (Type 2, which covers pre-engineered systems like Ansul) or a CSLB C-16 Fire Protection contractor license (19 CCR 905). Ask for the license number and check it with the issuing agency. LAFD is the usual AHJ inside city limits. Browse LA inspectors, including Ansul, or read the six-month tag guide.
Six-month tag guideHood cleaning vs suppressionNFPA 17A / 96 guideInspection checklistInspection costMonthly owner logUL 300Ansul inspectors
Who inspects kitchen fire suppression systems in Los Angeles?
Los Angeles restaurants and food trucks hire fire suppression service companies, not hood cleaners, to inspect and tag kitchen wet-chemical systems. In California, a company that services these systems for a fee needs a State Fire Marshal "A" license (Type 2) or a CSLB C-16 Fire Protection license. HoodInspect lists LA inspectors and shows a license number only when the company publishes one. LAFD is the usual AHJ in the city.
Inspectors in Los Angeles
Kitchen fire suppression FAQs in Los Angeles
- How often is a Los Angeles kitchen suppression inspection required?
- About every six months under NFPA 17A/96 and the California Fire Code, and again after the system discharges. Hood cleaning does not certify discharge readiness.
- What license must a Los Angeles kitchen suppression inspector hold?
- California law says no one may service automatic fire extinguishing systems for a fee without either a State Fire Marshal "A" license or a CSLB C-16 Fire Protection contractor license (19 CCR 905(a)). Either one satisfies the rule. Kitchen wet-chemical systems are pre-engineered systems, which fall under the State Fire Marshal's Type 2 license (engineered and pre-engineered fixed extinguishing systems). HoodInspect shows a license number only when the company published it.
- Is HoodInspect a Los Angeles hood-cleaning directory?
- No. LA listings are inspectors who tag wet-chemical hood suppression systems (including Ansul). Grease-duct cleaning is a different trade.
- How do I check a California inspector's license?
- Ask the company for its license number, then look it up. C-16 contractor licenses can be checked on the Contractors State License Board's online license check, by license number or business name. State Fire Marshal licenses can be checked through the OSFM's GOVmotus Fire license status lookup. State regulation also says a State Fire Marshal licensee may only do business under the name on its license and must post the license at its licensed location, so the name on the license should match the company you are hiring (19 CCR 905(e) and (f)).
- Does the company have to be qualified on my system's brand?
- For a State Fire Marshal license, the application lists the engineered and pre-engineered systems the company intends to service, by extinguishing agent and manufacturer, along with the employees qualified to do the work (19 CCR 905(c)). Service must also follow the manufacturer's written instructions on file with the State Fire Marshal (19 CCR 904.7). Ask which manufacturers and system models the company services, and whether the technician is qualified on yours (Ansul, Kidde, Range Guard, Buckeye, Pyro-Chem and so on).
- Where is the service tag on a California kitchen suppression system?
- For pre-engineered fixed systems, state regulation calls for a hanging tag (a self-adhesive type is allowed) placed on the agent supply tank enclosure or the manual pull device, in a format set by the State Fire Marshal (19 CCR 906.2). Check for a current service tag there.
- Is a portable fire extinguisher company the same as a kitchen system inspector?
- Not necessarily. The OSFM lists portable fire extinguisher licensing and automatic extinguishing systems licensing as separate license types. Servicing a kitchen system requires an "A" license or a C-16 (19 CCR 905(a)), so ask for that specifically.