Fire hydrant inspection checklist

This is a monthly visual check of one fire hydrant, indoors or outdoors: can you get to it, are the hose and nozzle there, and is the valve in good condition? Print the checklist below, or use the same template on a phone in MintCheck.

How to do each check

Cabinet and signage

Nothing blocks the way to the hydrant or its cabinet, the door opens freely, and the sign can be seen. The cabinet should hold only firefighting equipment. Outdoors, look for parked vehicles, plants or snow in the way.

Hose and nozzle

The hose and nozzle are in place, with no cuts, cracks, mold or missing parts, and the hose is stored so that it can be pulled out quickly.

Valve and water pressure

Look at the valve for leaks, rust or damage. If there is a pressure gauge, read it.

• Normal: there are no leaks or damage, and the gauge, if there is one, reads in the normal range.
• Needs check: there is a small drip or rust, or the reading looks wrong.
• Faulty: the valve is damaged or leaking badly, or the gauge shows no pressure.

Don't open the valve for this check unless you have been shown how. Water at full pressure can injure people and damage the building.

Notes

Write down anything else, such as a broken seal, something stored in the cabinet, or the gauge reading.

How often to check

This template is set to monthly, a common interval for a visual check like this one. Required intervals, and when the pressure and flow must be tested, differ by country and type of building, so check the fire safety rules that apply to you.

Pressure and flow tests are separate jobs for qualified people.

If something is wrong

1. Mark it on the checklist and describe the problem. A photo helps.
2. Clear anything blocking the hydrant right away.
3. For a damaged hose or a leaking valve, tell the person responsible for fire safety and call your fire protection company.
4. Check it again after the fix and record the result.

Use this checklist in MintCheck

1. In Checklists, click Add checklist and pick the fire hydrant template. Its items and monthly schedule are filled in, and you can change them before you save.
2. In Assets, click Add asset, pick the fire hydrant template and link the checklist. One checklist can serve every hydrant on the site.
3. Click Print QR and put a label on or next to each hydrant.
4. Workers scan the label, answer the items and mark the result Normal or Abnormal. They can attach photos.

An Abnormal result stays Unresolved until a re-inspection confirms the fix, and the site dashboard shows completed inspections against the planned number.

A building can have a hydrant cabinet on every floor, so print the labels together. Give the assets a tag such as "Fire safety", filter the asset list by that tag and click Print all QR. Each label shows the QR code, the asset name and the location. To see which hydrants are done on the due day, open Inspections by date in Inspections.

MintCheck is free for up to 5 assets with no credit card, so you can try this with a few hydrants.

Common questions

How often should fire hydrants be inspected?

This template uses a monthly visual check, a common interval. Required intervals differ by country and type of building, so check the fire safety rules that apply to you.

Does this check include a water pressure test?

No. It only reads a gauge if there is one. Pressure and flow tests are separate jobs for qualified people.

Does this work for both indoor and outdoor hydrants?

Yes, as a starting point. In MintCheck, you can click Duplicate to copy the checklist and change the items for outdoor hydrants, for example by taking out the cabinet.

Does this checklist meet fire safety regulations?

It is a starting point, not a statement of compliance. Compare it with the rules that apply to your building and add the items they ask for.

Can I use one checklist for all our hydrants?

Yes. In MintCheck, one checklist can be linked to many assets, and each hydrant keeps its own QR code and its own records.