What is covered in Austin
Facility First manages fire protection and life safety work in Austin for operators with one location or a full portfolio. Common requests include:
- Annual fire extinguisher inspection and maintenance, with new tags
- Recharge, six-year maintenance and hydrostatic testing of extinguishers
- Replacement of damaged, discharged or out-of-date extinguishers, and cabinet and mounting repairs
- Semiannual inspection of restaurant kitchen hood suppression systems
- Annual fire alarm inspection and testing, and repair of devices and panels
- Fire alarm monitoring setup and changes
- Emergency and exit light testing and repair
- Correction of deficiencies found by the Austin Fire Department or the inspection firm
Licensing and permits in Austin
Fire extinguisher, fire alarm and fire sprinkler work in Texas is licensed by the Texas Department of Insurance, State Fire Marshal’s Office. In Austin, inspection firms also report their results to the Austin Fire Department through its online system. Each firm’s registration and each technician’s license type are checked before work is assigned.
| Requirement | Agency | Level | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extinguisher Certificate of Registration for any company in the business of portable fire extinguishers or fixed extinguisher systems, with a separate certificate for each branch office | Texas Department of Insurance, State Fire Marshal’s Office | State | TDI: Fire extinguisher registration, license and test information |
| Individual extinguisher licenses: Type B for portable extinguishers, Type K for pre-engineered systems protecting cooking areas, Type A for pre-engineered fixed systems, and Type PL for planning fixed systems; apprentices work only under the direct visual supervision of a licensee, who signs the tag; licensees may work only when employed by a registered company | Texas Department of Insurance, State Fire Marshal’s Office | State | TDI: Fire extinguisher registration, license and test information |
| Fire alarm and fire sprinkler licensing for firms and individuals | Texas Department of Insurance, State Fire Marshal’s Office | State | TDI: Fire Marshal licensing |
| Inspection companies register and train on The Compliance Engine and submit acceptance tests, annual reports, six-month kitchen hood reports, deficiencies and repairs | Austin Fire Department | City | Austin Fire Department: Permits |
| High-Piled Combustible Storage Operational Permit for businesses that store combustibles in closely packed piles, on pallets, in racks or on shelves above the code thresholds, valid three years from issuance (held by the operator) | Austin Fire Department | City | Austin Fire Department: Permits |
The Austin Fire Department states that fire protection system applications are no longer required and that compliance is verified through reports from inspection companies. It also states that the property owner remains responsible for keeping each system in compliance.
Codes and local rules
Fire code. The Austin Fire Department’s Fire Marshal’s Office states that, effective July 10, 2025, the City adopted the 2024 edition of the International Fire Code with local amendments. While the City revises its Fire Protection Criteria Manual, the 2012 manual can still be used for guidance. The City is also working to adopt the 2021 Wildland-Urban Interface Code. Sites in surrounding cities follow their own fire marshal and adopted code.
Portable extinguishers. Federal workplace rules require employers to visually inspect portable extinguishers monthly, have them maintained annually, and hydrostatically test cylinders at set intervals. OSHA 29 CFR 1910.157 sets these minimums, and the fire code in force adds its own requirements for placement, access and service.
Kitchen hoods. Kitchen hood suppression systems are serviced at least every six months by a certified firm, a requirement the Kansas State Fire Marshal summarizes from NFPA 96 and International Fire Code Section 904. In Austin, the inspection company files each six-month report through The Compliance Engine.
Stockrooms and storage. The Austin Fire Department issues a High-Piled Combustible Storage Operational Permit, valid for three years, to businesses that store combustibles in closely packed piles, on pallets, in racks or on shelves above code thresholds. Retail backrooms and distribution sites are checked against this permit when storage layouts change.
Fire alarms. Fire alarm systems are inspected and tested at least annually under NFPA 72, in the edition the jurisdiction adopts, and the Austin Fire Department requires annual reports for fire protection systems to be filed through The Compliance Engine.
Preventive maintenance schedule for fire protection and life safety
Scheduled fire protection service keeps equipment ready to work, avoids citations and failed inspections, and gives each location a clean record for the fire marshal, the landlord and the insurer. In Austin, it also keeps the property’s online compliance record current.
| Task | Recommended frequency | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Visual inspection of portable fire extinguishers | Monthly | OSHA 29 CFR 1910.157(e)(2) |
| Maintenance check of portable fire extinguishers by a licensed technician | Annually | OSHA 29 CFR 1910.157(e)(3) |
| Empty and service stored-pressure dry chemical extinguishers that require a 12-year hydrostatic test | Every 6 years | OSHA 29 CFR 1910.157(e)(4) |
| Hydrostatic test of extinguisher cylinders | Every 5 years for carbon dioxide and water types; every 12 years for stored-pressure dry chemical with mild steel, brazed brass or aluminum shells | OSHA 29 CFR 1910.157(f), Table L-1 |
| Service of kitchen hood fire suppression systems by a licensed firm, with the report filed with AFD | At least every 6 months | NFPA 96 and International Fire Code, Section 904, as summarized by the Kansas State Fire Marshal; Austin Fire Department reporting |
| Inspect and test the entire fire alarm system, with the report filed with AFD | Annually | NFPA 72, as summarized by Facilitiesnet; Austin Fire Department reporting |
| Confirm deficiencies from the last report are repaired and the repair is reported | Within the period set by the inspection report, checked monthly | Austin Fire Department reporting; monthly check is Facility First program default, adjusted per site |
| Check extinguisher locations are visible, unobstructed and mounted | Monthly, during location walk-throughs | Facility First program default, adjusted per site |
The authority having jurisdiction, the manufacturer and the property’s insurer can require more frequent service, and each location’s schedule is set in its program and recorded on every visit.
Seasonal and local conditions
Kitchen hood systems drive the busiest fire protection calendar in Austin, since every restaurant with a hood system needs at least two services a year and each report is filed with the City. Facility First staggers hood, extinguisher and alarm visits across a portfolio so that each site’s reports arrive on time and deficiencies are corrected before the next cycle. Long hot summers raise temperatures in back rooms, rooftop spaces and vehicles, so extinguishers stored outside conditioned space are checked against the manufacturer’s listed temperature range.
Where Facility First works in Austin
Facility First manages fire protection work for retail stores at The Domain and Barton Creek Square, restaurants and mixed-use buildings in the Second Street District and along South Congress Avenue, and offices, banks and hotels in the Downtown Austin Central Business District. Restaurants drive hood system and extinguisher work; offices and hotels drive alarm testing; retail drives extinguisher tags and emergency light checks. Centers outside Austin city limits, such as the Hill Country Galleria, follow their own fire marshal.
How fire protection requests are handled
- Request. Submitted through the platform or by phone, with photos of the tag, gauge, panel or citation where available.
- Triage. Facility First confirms scope, priority, the license type needed and any open deficiencies on the City record.
- Dispatch. A vetted firm in Austin holding a TDI certificate of registration and the right license type receives the work order.
- Photo close-out. The provider records tags, reports and photos, and files the report with the Austin Fire Department where required.
- Verification and invoice. The work is checked against the request and invoiced in one format.
Inspections and repairs within the client’s approval limits proceed directly; system replacements are quoted first.
Security by McCray in Austin
Where a fire system impairment or a damaged entrance leaves a location unsecured, McCray can post an officer until the work is complete. Security services in Austin
Frequently asked questions
Who licenses fire extinguisher companies in Austin?
The Texas Department of Insurance, State Fire Marshal’s Office registers companies in the business of portable extinguishers and fixed systems and licenses their technicians by type, such as Type B for portable extinguishers and Type K for kitchen cooking systems.
Which fire code does Austin enforce?
The Austin Fire Department states that, effective July 10, 2025, the City adopted the 2024 International Fire Code with local amendments.
How often do fire extinguishers need service in Austin?
OSHA requires a monthly visual inspection and annual maintenance, plus six-year maintenance and hydrostatic testing at set intervals for some extinguisher types. The fire code official can require more.
Do Austin businesses have to report fire system inspections to the City?
Inspection companies submit acceptance tests, annual reports, six-month kitchen hood reports, deficiencies and repairs to the Austin Fire Department through The Compliance Engine. The property owner remains responsible for keeping each system in compliance.
Sources
- Texas Department of Insurance: Fire Marshal licensing
- Texas Department of Insurance: Fire extinguisher registration, license and test information
- Austin Fire Department: Fire Marshal’s Office
- Austin Fire Department: Permits
- U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration: 29 CFR 1910.157, Portable fire extinguishers (Cornell Legal Information Institute)
- Facilitiesnet: Inspection, Testing, Maintenance: How to Keep Fire Safety Systems Safe (NFPA 72 summary)
- Kansas Office of the State Fire Marshal: Hood Suppression Systems (NFPA 96 and International Fire Code, Section 904)
All sources opened and checked November 13, 2026. Recheck before publishing. The Austin Fire Department’s permits page still links a code document named for the 2021 codes, and its high-piled storage section cites the 2021 IFC; the Fire Marshal’s Office page states the 2024 IFC adoption, which this page follows. Whether portable extinguisher inspections are also filed through The Compliance Engine could not be confirmed and is not claimed.