Form 23: Certificate of Installation of Up to 10 Fire Detectors — The Complete Guide for Business Owners and Building Managers

What Is Form 23 and Why Does It Exist

Form 23 is one of the uniform forms of the National Fire and Rescue Authority, intended to certify that up to 10 fire detectors have been properly installed at a property, in accordance with the requirements of Israeli Standard (SI) 1220 Part 3. The form is submitted as part of the business licensing process — that is, it is a condition the business owner must meet in order to obtain a valid business license or renew it, when the fire authority is one of the licensing bodies for that business.

Why is a separate certificate required specifically for this small installation? Because in small businesses — a store, a warehouse, an office, a hair salon, a laboratory — a fire usually breaks out when no person is present, and spreads quietly during closing hours. Smoke and fire detectors provide the early warning that saves lives and reduces damage. Form 23 is the mechanism that ensures the system not only exists, but was installed by a qualified party and according to the standard.

Which System the Form Certifies

The form refers to a small fire-detection system — up to 10 detectors. Usually these are smoke detectors, heat detectors or flame detectors, distributed around the business space: a corridor, a warehouse, an electrical room, a kitchen, a showroom and so on. This is precisely the boundary point that distinguishes Form 23 from larger forms — more than 10 detectors or a complex system require a different approval route.

When a detector identifies smoke or an abnormal rise in heat, it triggers an alarm. The early warning allows the building to be evacuated, property damage to be reduced, and firefighters to be given precious time to arrive before the fire gets out of control. In properties where a central detection panel exists, the detectors are connected to it and transmit the alarm to it.

SI 1220 Part 3 — What the Standard Requires in Plain Language

Israeli Standard (SI) 1220 is a series of standards dealing with fire-detection and alarm systems. Part 3 is the design-and-installation part — it sets out how to design and install the system according to the building's designation and the risk level. In plain language, the standard defines:

• The number of detectors and their placement — how many detectors are required, where exactly to place them (ceiling, distance from walls, ventilation openings and air conditioners), and the coverage area of each detector.
• The appropriate type of detector — smoke detector, heat detector or flame detector — according to the nature of the space, the risk and the possible nuisances (dust, vapors, kitchen heat).
• Connection and power supply — detection zones, backup in case of a power outage, and proper wiring of the system.
• Communication and alarm — transmitting the warning effectively, and in the relevant systems also a connection to a detection panel or a monitoring center.

All of these are meant to ensure the detector will work when needed — and not be merely a "ceiling decoration." It is important to know: the maintenance and periodic inspection of that system rely on an additional part of the standard — SI 1220 Part 11 — which we will expand on below.

Who Must Submit the Form and When

Form 23 is mainly required in three situations:

• Opening a new business — as part of an initial business license application, when the fire authority is required to approve the business.
• Renewing a business license — for businesses where ongoing compliance with fire-safety requirements is a condition of the license.
• A fire inspector's demand — following an inspection that identified a deficiency, or as a condition for closing an inspection report.

It is important to understand: not every business is required to have fire detectors. The requirement derives from the type of business, its area, its occupancy and the number of occupants in it, and it is anchored in the Business Licensing Order and the National Fire Authority's requirements for that type of business (the licensing item). A business owner unsure whether they are required — it is advisable to check the specific requirements of the fire authority with the business licensing department at the local authority, or with a qualified service provider, before starting the installation.

Who Is Qualified to Complete and Sign Form 23

This is the area where many of the mistakes occur. Not every electrician and not every technician is allowed to sign the form.

Only a qualified professional in the field of fire-detection systems, who has been trained and authorized to work with such systems under SI 1220 and in accordance with the guidelines of the National Fire Authority and the Standards Institution, may approve and sign Form 23. In practice this is a technician or a company licensed to install fire-detection systems, whose authorized representative is the signatory.

The critical point: the installation and the certification must be by a party qualified for it. A signature by someone who is not allowed to — disqualifies the form and may delay the license application. Before ordering work, ask to see the proof that the installer is qualified to sign fire authority forms — this is a step that saves costly delays later on.

Validity of the Certificate and Inspection Frequency

Form 23 reflects the state of the system at the moment of installation and handover. Its practical validity is tied to the business license track and the fire inspector's requirements, so it is worth verifying with the authority what the relevant period is for your business — there is no uniform number for all businesses.

Beyond the one-time certificate, the standard requires ongoing maintenance and periodic inspection of the system under SI 1220 Part 11 — usually a periodic inspection by a qualified party, and sometimes more frequently in environments with dust, high humidity or temperature changes. In other words: the certificate is a "snapshot," and the ongoing inspection is the business owner's continuing responsibility. A system that has not been inspected for years may fail to function at the moment of truth — even if it was installed properly.

What the Fire Inspector Actually Checks

During an on-site inspection, the fire inspector does not settle for the form existing — they check the conformity between the paper and reality:

• Whether the number of detectors and their layout match what is stated in the form.
• Whether the detectors are in the correct location and are not blocked (cartons, signs, equipment, partitions).
• Whether the detectors are sound, clean and undamaged.
• Whether documentation of inspections and maintenance exists (a periodic inspection log/certificate).
• Whether detectors have been moved or removed since the original installation.

Common Mistakes and Oversights

These are the failures that recur again and again and delay licenses:

• Signature by an unqualified party — an electrician who installed but is not authorized to sign fire-detection documents. The form is disqualified.
• Placement that does not conform to the standard — a detector too close to an air conditioner, a ventilation opening or in a corner with partial coverage — may be disqualified even if physically installed.
• Failure to update after a renovation — a business that changed its layout, added a room or removed a wall and did not update the detector map and the form.
• Dirty or damaged detectors — a smoke detector covered in dust may respond late or not at all.
• Absence of periodic inspection documentation — even if the detectors are sound, an inspector who does not find an inspection record regards this as a deficiency.
• Relying on an old certificate — renewing the business license without verifying that the fire authority certificate and maintenance are also up to date.
• A detector not connected to the panel — in a system with a detection panel, a detector added later and not connected to the panel does not fully perform its role.

Practical Tips for the Business Owner and Building Manager

• Keep a copy of the completed form in the property file — not only with the contractor who installed it.
• Record the next inspection date on your calendar immediately upon receiving the certificate — do not rely on memory.
• Inspect the detectors visually periodically — wipe off dust and make sure they are not blocked.
• Obtain written documentation from the party that performs a periodic inspection, including a signature and date.
• Update the form after any structural change — even moving a partition may change the coverage requirements.
• Prepare a list of qualified suppliers in advance — do not search for a technician under pressure a week before an inspection.

How Domera Assists in Tracking This Certificate

The Domera system lets you store Form 23 in the property's digital file together with the rest of the fire-safety and safety certificates, set automatic reminders ahead of the periodic inspection date and the license renewal, and access with one click the list of qualified suppliers and technicians who have worked with the building — so you do not have to search under pressure at the last moment before an inspector's visit.