An Act To Regulate Fire Alarm Contractors
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 1508
Committee: Business, Research and Economic Development
Sponsors: NASS

Legislative Document 
No. 1508 
S.P.524 
In Senate, March 30, 2005 
An Act To Regulate Fire Alarm Contractors 
Reference to the Committee on Business, Research and Economic Development suggested 
and ordered printed. 
Presented by Senator NASS of York. 
Printed on recycled paper 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. I. 32 MRSA c. 20-A is enacted to read: 
CHAPTER 20-A 
FIRE ALARM CONTRACTORS 
§1391. Definitions 
As 
used 
in this 
chapter, 
unless 
the 
context 
otherwise 
indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. 
1. 
Certifico,t.e. 
"Certificate" means the document issued by 
the Underwriter's 
Laboratory, 
or 
other nationally 
recognized 
testing 
company 
approved 
by 
the 
commissioner, 
that provides 
3rd-party verification and certifies by test and inspection the 
gualifications 
and 
installations 
of 
a 
person 
or 
company 
indicating that the company or person is gualified to perform the 
planning, installation or inspection of a fire alarm system or 
any part of such a system. 
2. 
Ca.issioner. 
"Commissioner" means the Commissioner of 
Public Safety. 
3. 
Department. 
"Department" means the Department of Public 
Safety. 
4. 
Fire 
alarm 
system. 
"Fire 
alarm 
system" 
means 
an 
assembly of wiring or devices 
that provides protection from 
exposure 
to fire or the products of 
combustion, 
planned in 
accordance with a national or state standard. 
5. 
Fire alarm system contractor: contractor. 
"Fire alarm 
system contractor" or "contractor" means 
a 
company or person 
certified by 
the 
Underwriter'S 
Laboratory or 
other 
approved 
nationally 
recognized 
testing 
company, 
licensed 
by 
the 
commissioner as gualified to meet the standards provided by law, 
rule and regulation to undertake the planning, installation or 
inspection of a fire alarm system or any part of such a system. 
6. 
Inspect. 
"Inspect" means to visually examine or test a 
fire alarm system or a portion of a system to verify that it 
appears to be in working order and free from physical damage. 
7. 
Inspection sticker. 
"Inspection sticker" 
means 
the 
document issued by the commissioner to verify that a fire alarm 
system has been inspected. 
8. 
Installation. 
"Installation" 
means 
the 
initial 
placement of 
the 
alarm 
system or part of 
a 
system or 
the 
extension. modification or alteration of a system or part after 
the initial placement. 
9. 
License. 
"License" means the document issued by the 
commissioner to a contractor authorizing the contractor to engage 
in the fire alarm system business in this State. 
10. 
Plan. 
"Plan" means a shop drawing or erection plan of 
a fire alarm system or a part of a system. 
11. Pli'Pning. 
"Planning" means drawing or creating plans. 
§1392. Applicability 
1. 
State 
requirements. 
The 
following 
documentation 
is 
required for persons involved in the installation of fire alarm 
systems. 
A. 
A person who undertakes the planning Qr installation of 
a fire alarm system or any part of a system in this State 
must be 
licensed as 
a 
fire alarm system contractor. 
A 
person 
may 
not 
be 
identified 
as 
a 
fire 
alarm 
system 
contractor or by any similar term unless licensed by the 
State. 
B. 
A company or person who undertakes the review. approval 
and signing reguired for plans prior to submission to the 
department must be licensed by the commissioner. 
C. 
A person who inspects a commercial fire alarm system 
must be employed by a licensed fire alarm contractor. 
An 
agent 
of 
municipal 
government 
or 
State 
Government 
or 
licensed 
insurer 
who 
inspects 
a 
fire 
alarm 
system 
in 
performing 
that person's 
duties 
for 
that government 
or 
insurer must be registered by the commissioner. 
2. 
Posting of licenses and certificates. 
Each license and 
certificate 
issued 
under 
this 
chapter 
must 
be 
posted 
in 
a 
conspicuous place in the place of business of the person to whom 
it is issued. 
A license or certificate is not transferable. 
3. 
Municipal licenses. 
A municipality may not require fire 
alarm system contractors to be municipally licensed nor may any 
municipality issue a permit for a commercial fire alarm system 
unless the municipality is satisfied that the person applying for 
the permit complies with this chapter. 
4. 
Inspection sticker. 
The 
commissioner shall issue an 
inspection 
sticker 
to 
any 
person 
who 
submits 
a 
current 
Underwriter'S 
Laboratory 
certificate indicating that 
a 
fire 
alarm 
system 
is 
in 
proper 
operating 
condition. 
Inspection 
stickers are issued annually, are not transferable and must be 
affixed to thg fire alarm system panel. 
§1393. Fees 
The commissioner shall set fees for licensure and inspection 
stickers. 
Thg fees must bg no more than sufficient to cover the 
costs of implementing this chapter. 
All fees received by the department must be l?aid to the 
Treasurer 
of State 
and 
must 
be 
used 
for 
carrying out this 
chapter. 
Any balance of these fees does not lapse but is carried 
forward as 
a 
continuing account to be expended for the 
same 
purposgs in the following fiscal years. 
§1394. Termination of agreement 
Within 10 days after terminating a 
contractual agreement 
with a nationally recognized testing company, 
a 
licensed fire 
alarm system contractor, the company or the person that was party 
to the terminated agreement and is subject to this chapter shall 
notify the commissioner of that fact. 
§1395. Plan review 
Prior to construction of any commercial fire alarm system or 
an addition involving more than 20 new devices to a fire alarm 
system regulated by the National Fire Protection Association. 
Pamphlet No. 72, as amended, a fire alarm system contractor must 
obtain a permit from the commissioner, who shall review the plan 
for construction or addition and charge a reasonable fee for the 
review and permitting process. 
All plans to be submitted by a 
fire alarm system contractor to the department must be reviewed, 
al?proved and signed by the fire alarm system contractor. 
All plans for construction of or alteration to fire alarm 
systems 
must 
prominently 
display 
the 
fire 
alarm 
system 
contractor's license number, as well as the certification number 
and the name and address of the person to install the fire alarm 
system. 
Each permit issued must be displayed prominently at the 
site of construction. 
Within 30 days of the completion of a new 
fire alarm system or 
an addition to 
an existing fire 
alarm 
system, 
a 
fire alarm system contractor shall provide to the 
commissioner a copy of the Underwriter's Laboratory certificate 
representing that 
the 
fire 
alarm 
system 
has 
been 
installed 
according to specifications of the approved plan to the best of 
the fire alarm system contractor's knowledge, 
information and 
belief. 
§1396. Employees 
The commissioner may appoint, subject to the Civil Service 
Law, employees necessary to carry out this chapter. 
Any person 
so employed is under the administrative and supervisory direction 
of the commissioner. 
§1397. 
Violations 
The 
commissioner 
shall 
investigate 
or 
cause 
to 
be 
investigated all complaints made 
to the commissioner and all 
cases of noncompliance with or violation of this chapter. 
The 
commissioner may suspend or revoke a license, certification or 
registration 
pursuant 
to 
Title 
5, 
section 
10004. 
The 
commissioner 
may 
refuse 
to 
issue 
or 
renew 
a 
license, 
certification or registration or the District Court may suspend, 
revoke 
or 
refuse 
to 
renew 
the 
license, 
certification 
or 
registration of a person who is found guilty of: 
1. 
Fraud or deceit. 
The practice of any fraud or deceit in 
obtaining a 
license, certification or registration under this 
chapter; 
2. 
Negligence, incompetency or misconduct. 
Any negligence, 
incompetency 
or 
misconduct 
in the 
planning, 
installation or 
inspection of a fire alarm system. 
Continued failure to conform 
to standards or rules adopted by the department is prima facie 
evidence of negligence or incompetency; 
3. 
Violation of law. 
Any violation of this chapter or any 
rule adopted by the department; or 
4. 
Conviction of crime. 
Subject to the limitations of 
Title 5, chapter 341, a crime that involves dishonesty or a false 
statement or that relates directly to the practice of fire alarm 
system planning, installation, inspection or any crime for which 
incarceration for one year or more may be imposed. 
The commissioner, 
for reasons the commissioner determines 
sufficient. may reissue a license, certification or registration 
under this chapter to any person whose license, certification or 
registration has been revoked. 
§1398. Penalties; injunction 
1. 
Penalties. 
A person who plans, installs or inspects a 
fire alarm system or an-,- part of a system without obtaining the 
reguired license, certification or registration, or after the 
license, certification or registration has expired or has been 
suspended or revoked or temporarily suspended or revoked or who 
installs or alters 
a 
system without 
obtaining 
a 
permit 
as 
reguired by this chapter commits a Class E crime. 
2. 
Injunction. 
The State may bring an action in Superior 
Court 
to 
enjoin 
any 
person 
from 
violating 
this 
chapter, 
regardless of whether proceedings have been or may be instituted 
in District Court or whether criminal proceedings have been or 
may be instituted. 
§1399. Rules 
The 
commissioner 
shall 
adopt 
rules 
necessary 
for 
the 
implementation of this chapter. Rules adopted pursuant to this 
section are routine technical rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 
375, subchapter 2-A. 
SUMMARY 
This bill requires that fire alarm system contractors in the 
State be licensed by the Commissioner of Public Safety.