> Fire Pump
A fire pump is an approved water pump which raises the volume and pressure for the fire protection system beyond what the city can provide. Each pump should be provided with a bypass (if city can supply water), test header, jockey pump, and control valves.

Main Points to Establish

Main Control Valve
* Is the main control valve open and all valves down stream of the connection to the water supply open?
* Is this and all other valves controlling water to the system locked in the open position or supervised and functioning?

Bypass
* This is piping routing water around the pump to deliver city water pressure if the fire pump is out of service or being treated.

Test Header
* This is a mechanism to allow the annual testing of a fire pump in a full flow condition. This valve is normally in the closed position.

Jockey Pump
* This is a smaller pump capable of building system pressure up to a higher pressure than the pump setting and automatically operates to maintain the pressure to keep the main fire pump from operating for small leaks in the system.

Fire Pump
* This pump should have a tag indicating the capacity of fire pump as to volume and pressure and listing approval body.
* Most pumps have drip type bearing which means there should be visible dripping of water at either end of the pump housing.
* A main controller should have lights indicating the pump has power and is ready to run.

Certification of Inspection
* The owner, under NFPA #13A, is responsible for certain tests and the collection of certain data to demonstrate the performance capability of the system. The owner should have documentation of periodic testing and inspection.