When a fire pump is out of service and unattended, what must be reported?

When a fire pump is out of service and unattended, an impairment report is essential because it documents the situation and communicates the status of the fire protection system. The impairment report serves several vital functions: it ensures that personnel are aware of the deactivated system, it informs the relevant authorities or management about the loss of fire protection capability, and it helps to coordinate any necessary compensatory measures or alternative fire protection arrangements.

The necessity for this kind of report arises from the critical role fire pumps play in maintaining safety in a building's fire protection system. When a pump is unavailable, it can significantly affect the overall fire safety measures in place. Therefore, generating an impairment report is not just a procedural formality; it is an integral part of fire safety management and compliance with NFPA guidelines.

Other choices such as malfunction reports or test failure reports focus more on specific issues within the system rather than the actionable acknowledgment of being out of service. While an outage notification might seem relevant, the impairment report is more comprehensive in detailing the condition and the implications for safety. Therefore, the importance of issuing an impairment report becomes clear in the context of maintaining a safe environment when fire protection systems become compromised.