You might have wondered who was calling the shots when it comes to maintaining fire extinguishers… like who exactly came up with all these rules? Well, it wasn’t your DRB Crew or your local inspector. Those rules are actually generated by a national organization called the National Fire Protection Association or, NFPA, for short. Before we dive into NFPA’s “Standard on Portable Fire Extinguishers” or, as we call it, NFPA10, let’s do a brief refresher on NFPA itself.

What is NFPA?

Founded in 1896, NFPA is a nonprofit organization focused on reducing fire and electrical hazards through research, education, and safety standards. Over the years, NFPA has developed hundreds of safety standards that help guide how buildings are designed, how fire protection systems operate, and how safety equipment should be maintained. These standards are used across the United States and around the world to guide everyone from engineers and inspectors to maintenance staff and workplace safety leaders.

NFPA standards are developed through committees made up of experts from many different parts of the fire protection industry, engineering world, and private sector. These groups often include:

• Fire Protection Professionals
• Researchers & Engineers
• Equipment Manufacturers
• Safety Organizations & Advocates
• Regulatory Agencies
• Members of the Public

Proposed changes to a standard go through multiple review stages, including opportunities for public input and comment. This process helps ensure that standards are shaped by real-world experience, research, and industry knowledge. Standards are reviewed and updated regularly like the recently released NFPA10 2026.

What is NFPA10?

NFPA 10 is the standard relating to portable fire extinguishers. This covers all those “fire-putter-outers” that are not integrated with suppression systems. The standard covers topics including:

• Extinguisher Selection
• Extinguisher Placement
• Service Intervals
• Maintenance Requirements
• Record Keeping

In total, NFPA10 is, as of 2026, 8 chapters and 11 annexes worth of codes, recommendations, and diagrams all related exclusively to portable fire extinguishers. Why so much? Well, as we mentioned in the previous section, NFPA’s goal is the safe as DRB’s: to keep all of us #FireSafe. Each of the standards set in NFPA10 aims to help inspectors, engineers, companies like DRB, manufacturers, and individuals get to that goal.

Who Enforces NFPA10?

While NFPA writes the standards, they aren’t typically the one enforcing them. Instead, enforcement usually comes from what’s known as the Authority Having Jurisdiction or AHJ, examples of AHJ’s include:

• Local Fire Departments
• Municipal Fire Inspectors
• Government Safety or Monitoring Agencies
• Insurance Agents

Many of these authorities adopt NFPA standards into their local regulations or policies. Once adopted, those standards become the rules that anyone falling under the AHJ’s purview must follow.

What NFPA10 Means for You:

For property owners, businesses, and employers understanding where fire extinguisher requirements come from can make things much clearer. When a service provider recommends replacing an extinguisher, relocating one, or performing maintenance, those recommendations aren’t based on personal preference. They’re based on nationally recognized standards designed to keep people and property safe!

The rules come from NFPA standards—not from the DRB Crew. Our job is simply to help you meet the expectations of the AHJ based on the standards set by NFPA.

Meeting those standards includes completing regularly scheduled maintenance, complying with inspector recommendations, and acting responsibly when it comes to fire safety.

Quick Recap:

• NFPA is the National Fire Protection Association, a nonprofit organization that develops fire safety standards.
• NFPA10 is the standard that governs portable fire extinguishers.
• Local Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs) often adopt NFPA standards into regulations.
• Businesses must follow the AHJ’s adopted standards for fire safety compliance.
• Fire protection professionals—including the DRB Crew—apply these standards when servicing extinguishers.