Free checklist
Fire department connection (FDC) quarterly maintenance checklist
A quarterly fire department connection round is short on purpose: it catches the wear items that fail between annual services. This checklist is sized for a tech with a phone. Every item says what to look at and the photo that proves the round happened. Work is commonly verified against NFPA 13, NFPA 25. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
- Items
- 4
- Photos required
- 6
- Built for
- Subcontractors
Who runs it
The building or facilities person walking to each FDC on the quarterly round, checking the inlets, caps and signage and the clear path to them from the street.
When in the schedule
Every quarter, and after any landscaping, paving or parking change near the connection, since a blocked or capless FDC is only discovered by the crew that needs it.
The checklist
Every item, and the photo that proves it
The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Copy the list as is, or load it into RTI and let the gate enforce it.
Inlets and caps
- 2 photos
Caps present and inlet threads and swivels sound
Cap, plug or breakable on each inlet, swivels turning by hand, threads clean and undamaged so a hose couples cleanly, no debris packed in the inlet.
- 1 photo
Clapper and drainage at the inlet observed
Inlet clappers swinging free and seating, no standing water suggesting the automatic drip is plugged, body and swivels free of corrosion.
Signage and identification
- 1 photo
Identification sign present and legible
Sign at the FDC naming the system it serves legible and secured, matching what actually feeds behind it, not painted over.
Access and approach
- 2 photos
FDC visible and unobstructed from the street side
Approach clear of landscaping, parking, stored material and snow, the connection visible from where a crew would stage, nothing chained or built across it.
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Caps or breakables missing and the inlet full of trash, rocks or a nest, so a hose can't couple and the crew loses time clearing it.
- Landscaping, snow storage, parking or a dumpster grown up in front of the FDC so the responding crew can't reach it.
- Identification sign faded or gone, so nobody can tell which system the connection feeds under pressure of a call.
Run it with the Photo Gate
A checklist nobody can submit half-finished
Load this list into RTI, stick a QR tag on the area it covers, and the submit button stays locked until every mandatory item is answered and the 6 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident record behind every line.
Submission state
The gate is enforced on the server, so it holds even if the phone is offline when the walk happens.
Common questions
- What does this fire department connection (fdc) quarterly checklist cover?
- 4 items across 3 sections, covering inlets and caps, signage and identification, access and approach. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.
- Who should run this inspection?
- The building or facilities person walking to each FDC on the quarterly round, checking the inlets, caps and signage and the clear path to them from the street.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- Every quarter, and after any landscaping, paving or parking change near the connection, since a blocked or capless FDC is only discovered by the crew that needs it.
- Why does every item ask for a photo?
- 6 of the 4 items call for photo evidence. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.
- What most often fails a fire department connection (fdc) quarterly inspection?
- Caps or breakables missing and the inlet full of trash, rocks or a nest, so a hose can't couple and the crew loses time clearing it. Landscaping, snow storage, parking or a dumpster grown up in front of the FDC so the responding crew can't reach it. Identification sign faded or gone, so nobody can tell which system the connection feeds under pressure of a call.
- Can I use this checklist in RTI?
- Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident audit trail.
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