A building owner's fire compliance calendar: what's due, when, and who does it

Fire compliance isn't an annual event. It's a rhythm of routine checks that happen weekly, monthly, every six months, annually, and every five years. Miss any of them and you're non-compliant — even if the system is physically working.

This calendar summarises the recurring obligations for a typical commercial or strata building with a monitored fire detection and alarm system. The exact schedule varies by system type, jurisdiction, and building class. Your fire safety contractor's maintenance program is the authoritative document for your building — this is a starting point to understand the rhythm.

Weekly

Who: building owner, facility manager, or competent on-site staff.

What: a short visual inspection. Is the panel displaying any faults? Are all fault and alarm LEDs off? Is the panel in its normal operating state? Are exit paths clear and emergency lighting working? Are all manual call points present and intact?

Duration: ten to fifteen minutes. Should be logged.

Monthly

Who: licensed fire safety contractor, or a competent person as allowed by the system type.

What: function-testing a rotating sample of detectors (typically one detector per zone, rotating across zones over successive months). Verifying panel indicators and displays. Checking battery voltage. Inspecting portable fire extinguishers and verifying their pressure and seals. Checking hose reels for smooth operation where present.

Record: a logbook entry dated and signed by the person performing the routine.

Six-monthly

Who: licensed fire safety contractor.

What: a more thorough inspection. Every detection device is inspected. Loop integrity is tested. Sounders and visual alarm devices are tested. Panel battery is load-tested under simulated mains failure. Isolation points are reviewed.

Record: a detailed report, often accompanied by a certificate.

Annual

Who: licensed fire safety contractor, in coordination with your monitoring provider and brigade.

What: a full system function test. Every detection device is tested end-to-end. The brigade connection is tested — this is coordinated in advance so the brigade knows a test is underway. Batteries are replaced if required. Asset registers are verified against the physical installation. Any deferred items from monthly or six-monthly routines are closed out.

Record: a comprehensive annual inspection report, typically required to be retained for a minimum period (commonly seven years) and to be available for audit.

Five-yearly

Who: licensed fire safety contractor, often a senior technician or specialist.

What: a major inspection. Internal components are disassembled and inspected where applicable. Panel firmware and capacity are reviewed against current system loads. Baseline survey and as-built drawings are refreshed. Batteries are typically replaced regardless of condition.

Record: a major inspection report. This becomes the new baseline for the next five-year cycle.

Who's responsible for what

Building owner. Accountable under state building legislation. Pays for the contracted work. Retains liability if routines are missed, regardless of who was supposed to perform them.

Building manager. Coordinates contractors. Handles day-to-day checks and escalations. Maintains records and makes them available to the regulator, auditor, or insurer on request.

Fire safety contractor. Performs the technical routines. Provides certified reports and updates the logbook. Flags issues that need owner decisions — end-of-life equipment, asset register mismatches, repeat faults.

Occupants and staff. Follow fire procedures. Don't obstruct exits, detectors, or manual call points. Report obvious faults or concerns to management.

Record-keeping

Every routine produces a record. Records must be:

• Dated and attributable to the person or contractor who performed the work
• Complete — including details of what was tested, the result, and any faults identified
• Tamper-evident — harder to backdate or alter after the fact
• Retained for the required period (typically seven years, longer in some jurisdictions)
• Available on request to the fire authority, an auditor, or an insurer

Paper logbooks still meet these requirements if they're maintained diligently. Digital records are equally acceptable and are usually easier to produce on demand.

What happens if you miss routines

Missed routines are the most common finding in fire safety audits. The consequences vary by jurisdiction and severity, but can include:

• Non-compliance notices from the fire authority or local council
• Insurance cover being reduced or voided in the event of a claim
• Personal liability for building owners under state legislation
• In some jurisdictions, the brigade reserving the right to refuse attendance
• Commercial tenants with their own compliance obligations pushing back on the owner

None of these outcomes require the system to have actually failed. They follow from the paperwork alone.

How Magnifire helps

Magnifire tracks your maintenance cycles across every panel and every building in your portfolio. Overdue routines are flagged before they slip. Test sessions produce tamper-evident digital records automatically, with timestamps, event counts, and PDF reports ready for audit. Every panel in every building sits in one dashboard — so the question "are we compliant?" has an answer you can check, not a spreadsheet you have to assemble.

AS 1851 compliance isn't difficult. It's just hard to keep organised when the records live in a binder next to the panel in each building. Moving that record-keeping somewhere structured is the single biggest improvement most portfolios can make.