Stage 5 — Corpo de Bombeiros field acceptance
The final acceptance gate in Brazil. Performed by a representative of the state Corpo de Bombeiros at the installed site, with all stages 1-4 complete.
This stage has state-by-state procedural variation — São Paulo (CBM-SP), Rio de Janeiro (CBM-RJ), Minas Gerais (CBM-MG), and others publish slightly different field-test scripts. The substance below is common to all.
5.1 Pre-walk
Before scheduling the Bombeiros visit, confirm:
- Project AVCB application filed and accepted as “in-acceptance”
- Stage 1-4 documentation binder physically present at site
- CREA-registered fire-protection engineer scheduled to attend
- Pump-room cleared, lit, accessible
- Fire pump in standby (system pressurized, jockey running)
5.2 Field flow test — NFPA 20 §14.2.6 / NBR 16704 §14.2.6
Performed by opening the test header progressively while measuring flow (via pitot tube on each test outlet) and pressure (via discharge gauge).
| Test point | Required head | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Churn (0% flow, jockey off) | 100% rated H | Open one test outlet briefly, then close — pump should run, then operator stops |
| Rated flow (100%) | 100% rated H ± 5% | Open test outlets to achieve rated flow, hold 1 minute |
| 150% flow | ≥ 65% rated H | Open additional outlets, hold 30 s, record pitot pressures |
Pitot pressure to flow conversion (per NFPA 20 Annex):
Q (gpm) = 29.84 × c × d² × √P
Where:
c = pitot coefficient (0.96 for smooth-bore outlet)
d = outlet diameter (inches)
P = pitot pressure (psi)
Or in metric (per NBR 16704):
Q (L/min) = 0.0666 × c × d² × √P
Where:
d = outlet diameter (mm)
P = pitot pressure (kPa)
5.3 Controller-functional test
Witnessed by Bombeiros:
- Manual start from controller front panel
- Manual start from remote (if installed)
- Automatic start on pressure drop
- Phase-loss alarm functional
- Emergency-run handle functional
- Audible + visual alarms test
- Loss of normal power → ATS transfer → pump runs (where dual-source)
5.4 Diesel-pump-specific tests
Where diesel-driven:
- Cold start with both battery banks individually
- Battery-voltage alarms test
- Continuous run for 30 minutes minimum at rated load
- Engine cooling-water flow stable at full load
- Fuel-level alarms test
- Engine overspeed shutdown test (where instrumented)
5.5 Common failure modes at Bombeiros walk
The five most common reasons fire pumps fail at Bombeiros field acceptance, by frequency:
- Test-header pitot readings inconsistent across outlets — usually means partial obstruction in test piping, or an undersized header. Re-pipe before re-attempting.
- Controller alarms in Portuguese missing — listed UL controllers ship with English HMI. Order controllers with explicit Portuguese-language requirement.
- NPSH margin < 0.6 m at 150% flow — passes FAT but fails field because suction piping was not built per Stage 1 §1.4. Suction-rework adds weeks.
- Documentation in English only — package rejected; Bombeiros will not approve until translated.
- Manual stop not enforced — controller wired to auto-stop on pressure recovery; this violates NFPA 20 §10.5.2.1 and is rejected immediately.
5.6 Final acceptance
| Field | Entry |
|---|---|
| Bombeiros representative | _________ |
| Bombeiros badge / registry | _________ |
| Date of acceptance | _________ |
| AVCB issuance reference | _________ |
| All test points within tolerance | ☐ Yes ☐ No |
| Re-test scheduled (if applicable) | _________ |
| Final acceptance certificate to building owner | ☐ Issued |
System is accepted. Move to:
- Weekly churn-test schedule (NFPA 20 §8.3.2 / NBR 16704 §8.3) — every 7 days
- Annual flow-test schedule (NFPA 20 §8.3.3 / NBR 16704 §8.4) — every 12 months
- Fuel-tank top-off (diesel) per O&M manual
- Battery replacement at 2-year intervals or per controller manual
Operator training is the building owner’s continuing responsibility.
Back to: Master summary · README