The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) sets the gold standard for fire prevention and life safety codes across the United States. As we move through 2025, a number of key updates have been introduced that directly impact property management teams, building owners, and life safety vendors.
At Confirmed Life Safety, we help our clients maintain perpetual compliance—not just with the basics, but with the evolving standards that drive building safety and legal accountability. Here’s what you need to know about this year’s changes to the NFPA standards and what they mean for your properties.
1. Greater Emphasis on Risk-Based Inspection Intervals (NFPA 101 & 1)
The Life Safety Code (NFPA 101) and Fire Code (NFPA 1) now encourage adopting risk-based intervals for inspections instead of defaulting to static timelines. This change recognizes that not all properties have the same exposure or use conditions and that frequency should match risk level.
What It Means for You: Properties with high occupant turnover or public access may require more frequent inspections. Confirmed Life Safety’s automated tracking platform helps assess and assign inspection intervals based on real-time risk data.
2. Expanded Guidelines for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) – NFPA 855
As energy storage systems become more common in residential and commercial buildings, NFPA 855 has introduced stricter installation and ventilation requirements for lithium-ion battery storage—especially relevant in high-density or multi-unit environments.
Our Take: If your property uses solar, EV charging, or backup battery systems, you may now need additional spatial clearance, fire-resistive separation, and new signage protocols. We can help audit your energy infrastructure to ensure full compliance.
3. Revised Fire Alarm System Testing Requirements – NFPA 72
The National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code (NFPA 72) has been updated to streamline annual testing protocols and expand digital testing and notification methods, including clearer guidance on cloud-connected alarm monitoring.
Action Point: If you’ve modernized your system with wireless or remote features, your current testing procedures may no longer meet standard. Confirmed Life Safety works with certified vendors to ensure documentation is formatted and validated to 2025 standards.
4. Stricter Documentation for Water-Based Systems – NFPA 25
NFPA 25 has tightened requirements for documenting 5-year internal pipe inspections, obstruction investigations, and air venting on dry systems. Digital records must now include specific details, including location, pass/fail status, and technician credentials.
What to Do: Ensure your vendors are supplying compliant inspection records. Our platform standardizes and verifies uploads, flagging any documentation that doesn’t meet the new format or content requirements.
5. Fire Door Inspections Expanded – NFPA 80
The updated NFPA 80 places greater attention on label visibility, signage obstruction, and mechanical integrity during fire door inspections. This reflects increased enforcement following nationwide incident reviews involving non-performing fire doors.
Don’t Overlook: Even minor changes like paint, tape, or attached notices can now count as non-compliance. Confirmed Life Safety includes door inspections in our risk audit services to reduce costly failures.
Looking Ahead
NFPA updates are not merely administrative—they are responses to evolving risks, technologies, and fire event data. These changes require property professionals to be proactive, not just reactive. Falling behind on a single code can cascade into larger violations and jeopardize safety or insurance coverage.
At Confirmed Life Safety, we stay ahead of these changes so you don’t have to. Our tools and services are built to align with the most current codes and best practices, so you can focus on managing your properties—not chasing compliance.
Need help evaluating your site’s compliance with 2025 NFPA standards?
Schedule a compliance review with our team and get a tailored roadmap to safer, smarter property management.