Worcester County Quality Assurance Program

How it works

In November 2014, the Worcester County Commissioners approved a Quality Assurance Program (QAP) for fire protection systems. The program is administered by the County Fire Marshal’s Office and requires the building owner and/or tenant to ensure that fire protection systems are consistently tested, inspected, and maintained.

The county may use a third-party vendor data collection agency approved by the County Commissioners. In March 2015, the Commissioners approved Brycer, LLC, which operates The Compliance Engine (TCE), a web-based data collection system for fire protection systems required under the QAP.

What the program covers

The page describes the QAP as applying to fire protection systems. It does not describe a homeowner grant, rebate, loan, or subsidy. Instead, it is a county compliance and maintenance program.

Amounts and fees

• The Commissioners set a fee of $35 per system annually.
• Commercial kitchen hood suppression systems are submitted semi-annually.
• The recording fee is charged by the Fire Protection Company (contractor) performing code-compliant inspections, testing, and maintenance.
• The contractor may pass the $35 fee on to the owner or tenant.
• The fee may not be increased or marked up above the set price.
• Brycer, LLC is paid by the contractor, and Brycer reimburses the County a portion of the QAP fee.

How to apply

All reports for test certificates and deficiency repair forms must be logged using TCE. The Fire Marshal’s Office no longer accepts contractor or fire protection company mailed or emailed forms.

Timing and deadlines

The page does not list an application deadline or closing date. It describes an ongoing county requirement for covered properties and systems.