NFPA 72 Section 10.21 · 2019 · 2022 · free

Fire alarm impairment notice

Record an impairment from the moment the system goes out to the moment it is back: what is inoperable, who was told and when, the report to the authority having jurisdiction, and the measures in place meanwhile. Both parties sign the PDF.

1When it starts. Notify the owner or owner’s representative. Out-of-service events are impairments. 10.21.1
2After 8 hours out. The service provider reports it to the authority having jurisdiction if the entire system or a substantial portion is out of service for more than 8 hours. 10.21.4
3If monitoring is cut. The supervising station reports terminated monitoring to the authority having jurisdiction. 10.21.3
4While it lasts. Put in place the mitigating measures the authority having jurisdiction requires. 10.21.5
5When it ends. Notify the owner or representative and the authority having jurisdiction. 10.21.6
6Afterwards. The owner keeps the impairment record for 1 year from the date it was corrected. 10.21.2

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Property7 blank

Property name

Property address

State (two letters)

County

Owner or owner’s representative

Their phone

Their email

The impairment7 blank

Planned or emergency

What is inoperable

Areas, zones or devices affected

Cause and description

Impaired since — date and time

Expected back in service — date and time

Is off-site monitoring still working?

Notices6 blank

The owner or owner’s representative is notified (10.21.1). A system out of service for more than 8 hours — the entire system or a substantial portion — is reported by the service provider to the authority having jurisdiction (10.21.4). Where monitoring has been terminated, the supervising station reports it to the authority having jurisdiction (10.21.3).

Owner or representative notified — date and time

Notified person and how (in person, phone, email)

Supervising station told — date and time

Out of service for more than 8 hours?

Authority having jurisdiction notified — date and time

Authority having jurisdiction — office, person and how

While impaired2 blank

Where the authority having jurisdiction requires it, mitigating measures are put in place for the time the system is impaired (10.21.5). The annex describes a range from telling the occupants to a full-time fire watch, decided case by case.

Mitigating measures required by the AHJ?

Measures in place (fire watch, who, from when)

Back in service5 blank

When the impairment ends, the owner or representative and the authority having jurisdiction are notified (10.21.6).

Restored — date and time

What was done

Restored parts tested and working?

Owner or representative notified of the end — date and time

Authority having jurisdiction notified of the end — date and time

Signature

«I gave notice of this impairment and recorded it as shown above.»

Name

Date

Organization

Title

Phone

Sign here (optional)

Signature

«I was told the fire alarm system is impaired as described above. I will keep this record for 1 year after the impairment is corrected.»

Name

Date

Sign here (optional)

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Questions

What counts as a fire alarm impairment?

NFPA 72 defines an impairment as an abnormal condition, during either a planned or an emergency event, where a system, component or function is inoperable. Planned examples are adding devices or reprogramming; an emergency example is damage to the control unit or wiring. Out-of-service events count.

Who has to be told, and when?

The owner or owner’s representative, when the impairment starts and when it ends. The authority having jurisdiction, when the entire system or a substantial portion has been out of service for more than 8 hours (reported by the service provider) and when the impairment ends. In the 2019 and 2022 editions there is no stated deadline for the owner notice; the 2025 edition adds one.

Does an impairment always need a fire watch?

Not under NFPA 72 itself. Mitigating measures are required where the authority having jurisdiction requires them, decided case by case — anything from telling the occupants to a full-time fire watch. Other codes can be stricter: the Life Safety Code (NFPA 101, 2012 edition, 9.6.1.6) asks for the authority to be notified and for evacuation or an approved fire watch when a fire alarm is out of service for more than 4 hours in 24 hours.

Does taking devices out for testing make the system impaired?

In the 2022 edition, yes, when an automatic function is taken out of service for testing and there is no manual means or other compensatory measure: the system or that portion is impaired and Section 10.21 applies until the function is restored (14.2.2.2).

How long is the record kept?

The owner or owner’s representative keeps a record of the impairment for 1 year from the date it is corrected (10.21.2).

Source: NFPA 72 Section 10.21 and 14.2.2.2, base text of NFPA’s draft reports for the 2022 and 2025 editions (the 2019 and 2022 wording), read on October 6, 2026. NFPA 101 rule as quoted by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and the Minnesota Department of Health. Summarized in our words; your state and authority having jurisdiction may require more.

Related forms

Found problems that are not impairments? Put them on the deficiency report. Record the test when the system is back on the inspection and testing form.