Is Your Business Fire Code Compliant? A Simple Guide for Colorado Property Owners

Written By Courtney Dorrance

A Simple Guide for Colorado Property Owners

If you own or manage a commercial building in Colorado, fire code compliance isn’t just a box to check — it’s critical for protecting your property, your people, and your peace of mind. Fines, failed inspections, or worse, a fire-related incident, can all result from overlooked fire protection systems.

At Bighorn Fire Protection, we help businesses across Colorado stay compliant and ready. Here's a simple breakdown to help you understand what's required — and where to start.

What Fire Protection Systems Are Required?*

Depending on your occupancy type and local jurisdiction (like Denver, Aurora, or Adams County), you may be required to have some or all of the following:

1. Fire Sprinkler Systems

  • Must be inspected annually and quarterly

  • Fire pumps must be inspected monthly with a churn test in addition to annual

  • Should be tested to ensure water flow, pressure, and valve operation.

  • Obstructions or damaged heads are a common violation.

2. Fire Alarm Systems

  • Require annual inspection and testing by a qualified technician.

  • Must be monitored 24/7 by a central station in most commercial settings.

  • Dead batteries or untested pull stations are often missed.

3. Fire Extinguishers

  • Need monthly visual checks (can be performed by tenant staff or maintenance personnel) and annual servicing (by Bighorn)

  • Must be mounted at the correct height and easily accessible.

  • The wrong extinguisher type (like ABC vs. K) is a common issue in kitchens and shops.

4. Exit & Emergency Lighting

  • Must be operational during a power outage.

  • Require annual testing and battery backup checks.

5. Documentation & Tags

  • All systems need current service tags and accessible inspection reports, including backflows, extinguishers, and fire pumps.

  • Lack of documentation is a frequent reason for a failed fire inspection. It is recommended to maintain a physical fire log on site with inspections reports to provide upon request

  • Blue repair tags after deficiencies have been corrected must be placed on systems

⚠️ Top 5 Fire Code Violations We See in Colorado

  1. Expired or missing fire extinguisher tags

  2. Sprinkler heads and escutcheons painted

  3. Missing fire sprinkler system signage

  4. Fire alarm systems not monitored, or monitoring informaiton not easily accesible

  5. No record of 5-Year Internal inspection or 5-year FDC hydrostatic testing

*Please note there are multiple AHJs that determine the inspection frequency. If you are a hospital, senior living facility - inspections by the Joint Commission may request quarterlys and semi-annuals in addition to annual testings

Schedule a free consultation with Bighorn Fire Protection today. Please call us at 303-226-9226 or email us at info@bighorn-fire.com

Courtney Dorrance