A fire Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC) is the single document that determines whether your building stays compliant between NOC renewals. And it's also the single document most building owners sign without reading.
This guide is a checklist for what an AMC should actually contain — so you can compare quotes honestly, hold your vendor accountable, and pass your next inspection without drama.
1. The minimum scope
A genuine fire safety AMC must include, at minimum:
- Four site inspections a year (one per quarter)
- Hydro-testing every three years per IS 2190 (cylinders, hydrant pipework, hose reels)
- Refills and recharges per equipment class — IS 2190 cycles
- Photographed service reports after every visit, signed by both technician and your site representative
- Mock-drill scheduling for occupancy classes B, C, and D (educational, institutional, assembly) — drills are mandatory and your AMC partner should run them
- Annual compliance dossier consolidating all the above into one inspection-ready file
If your current AMC quote doesn't name these explicitly, it isn't an AMC — it's a refill voucher.
2. Quarterly inspection — what gets checked
| Equipment | What the technician must verify |
|---|---|
| Extinguishers | Weight, seal, pressure gauge, refill date, mounting, signage |
| Hydrant system | Pressure at topmost outlet, hose-reel drum condition, valve operation |
| Sprinklers | Visual integrity, no painting / obstruction, fusible-link condition |
| Alarm panel | Battery backup test, zone-by-zone trigger, hooter audibility (75 dB minimum) |
| Detectors | Functional test of smoke / heat / multi-sensor units (sample basis) |
| Emergency lighting | 90-minute battery test on each unit |
| Signage | Photoluminescent signs visible from every exit point |
| Fire pumps | Auto-start test, jockey pump cycling, diesel back-up run |
| Records | Drill log review, training log review, visitor register check |
Every check should be timestamped and photographed. A service report without photographs is unfalsifiable — and inspectors increasingly ask to see photo evidence.
3. The IS 2190 refill schedule
Most disputes between buildings and AMC vendors are about when something should have been refilled. IS 2190 settles it:
| Equipment | Cycle |
|---|---|
| ABC stored-pressure extinguishers | Hydrotest + refill every 3 years |
| CO₂ extinguishers | Weighing every 6 months; refill if loss > 10%; hydrotest every 5 years |
| Foam (AFFF) extinguishers | Refill every 2 years; concentrate replacement every 5 years |
| Wet-riser hose pipes | Pressure test every 5 years |
| Fire-pump diesel back-up | Run for 30 minutes monthly under load |
| Sprinklers (fusible) | Visual inspection annually; replace at 50 years (yes, really) |
Your AMC contract should list the next-due date for every cylinder. If it doesn't, ask for it in writing.
4. Drills, training, records
Schools, hospitals, hotels, banquet halls, and assembly buildings have a legal obligation to conduct evacuation drills — typically twice a year — and to maintain drill records for 5 years. Your AMC partner should:
- Schedule and run the drill
- Photograph and time-stamp the muster
- Provide a written drill report (entry/exit times, time-to-muster, observations)
- Maintain the rolling record file
If they don't, you are personally exposed on inspection day.
5. The "audit-ready dossier"
After 12 months of AMC service, you should have a single PDF (or printed binder) containing:
- All four quarterly service reports
- All refill stickers / certificates
- All drill records
- The annual fire-pump test certificate
- The annual electrical safety audit
- An updated equipment registry with current serials and next-due dates
This file is what you hand to the fire-service inspector at NOC renewal. A vendor who delivers it without you having to ask is doing the AMC right.
6. What an honest AMC costs
A defensible AMC costs roughly:
| Building type | Typical annual range |
|---|---|
| Small retail / shop | ₹10,000 – ₹15,000 |
| Office / clinic | ₹15,000 – ₹40,000 |
| School / hospital | ₹40,000 – ₹1,50,000 |
| Mid-size factory | ₹75,000 – ₹3,00,000+ |
| Large industrial / petrochem | Quoted per scope |
If a quote comes in dramatically below these, ask: does it include refills? Hydro-test? Drills? Photographed reports? Most cheap AMCs save money by skipping all four.
7. Questions to ask before signing
- How many engineers will visit per quarter, and what are their qualifications?
- Will refills, hydro-tests, and recharges be included in the AMC fee, or billed separately?
- Are drill scheduling and reporting included?
- Who carries the BIS licence for the equipment refilled — your firm or a sub-contractor?
- Will service reports be photographed?
- Who handles the annual compliance dossier?
- What's the SLA for emergency response between scheduled visits?
If your current vendor can't answer all seven cleanly, you need a new vendor.
How AgniPro's AMC programme works
Quarterly inspections by our own engineers — no sub-contractors. IS 2190 refill cycles tracked per cylinder. Photographed service reports filed after every visit. Drill scheduling for B/C/D occupancies. Annual compliance dossier delivered every March. Pricing quoted per site after a free survey.
Book a free site visit and we'll quote your AMC honestly, line by line.