Glossary
Building Operations
Fire Alarm & Life Safety Testing
Required inspection, testing, and monitoring of fire alarm and life-safety systems. This is recoverable CAM. A code-driven system replacement or upgrade is capital, not testing.
Firm impact
Separate routine, required testing fees from a system-wide upgrade billed under the same line-item description. The two get grouped together far more often than they should.
How this gets abused
A fire alarm panel replacement, triggered by a code update, gets billed as 'annual life safety testing and compliance.' A five-figure capital project reads as a small recurring fee on the reconciliation.
Practitioner note
Request the itemized invoice. Recurring inspection and monitoring fees are CAM. Panel, sensor, or wiring replacement is capital. This overlaps with CAMAudit's GL CapEx in Operating Pool rule.
Related terms
FAQ
Questions about fire alarm & life safety testing
Is fire alarm testing a recoverable CAM cost?
Yes, routine required inspection and monitoring fees are standard recoverable CAM. A full system replacement or upgrade is not.
What should my firm request to check a fire safety line item?
Ask for the itemized invoice from the fire safety vendor. Testing and monitoring language is CAM. Replacement or upgrade language is capital.
You know the term. Now check the math.
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