Georgia Fire Inspectors Association

The following excerpt from an email was sent to me by an individual fire alarm contractor who wishes to remain anonymous:
___________________________________________________________

OVERALL FIRE ALARM CODE ENFORCEMENT ISSUES

I have a great working relationship with <inspector's name redacted>, but I don't feel like he is enforcing these type issues, which i do not feel is right. It seems that companies like us are left to be the bad guy, and again damages relationships with customers. I feel like overall code enforcement is not being enforced like it should, and yet the installing companies are required to turn in NFPA72 letters proclaiming everything is up to code when in essence it may not be. This is not the 1st instance. We also had 2 churches that were required by <plan reviewer's name redacted> to add a significant amount of audio/visuals. However, the G.C./<inspector's names redacted> got together & deleted 90% of the adds in order to reduce the associated changeorder costs for the owner.

I can't emphasize enough how much I DON'T want to damage good working relationships with <name redacted>. However, I do not feel that it is fair or ethical to leave companies like ours to be the enforcers or "bad guys" when code is NOT being met.
__________________________________________________________

Supposedly. an engineering department is staffed with qualified plan reviewers, tasked with performing plan review to ensure the system is to Code, then approving the plans – so, why are some inspectors ignoring the approval requirements and ‘doing their own thing’?

And this is not the first time a contractor has informed me of the field’s not supporting the engineering staff – the field inspection crew request that we support them, so is this a one way street?