How long must a Fire alarm log book be kept?

• A. 1 year
• B. 3 years
• C. 5 years
• D. 7 years

Answer: (B)

Keeping a fire alarm log book for a defined period provides a verifiable history of inspections, tests, and repairs, showing that the system has been maintained and tested as required. This history helps inspectors and authorities confirm ongoing reliability and code compliance during audits or after incidents. The three-year retention period is used here because it gives enough history to cover multiple inspection cycles while avoiding excessive archival burden. If records are kept for only a year, they might not align with the next scheduled inspection; keeping them longer than needed is usually unnecessary unless a specific local code requires it. So, the standard practice reflected in this question is to retain the fire alarm log book for three years.