UNSPSC 46191622: Fire extinguishing ball or patch

A passive fire suppression or extinguishing device consisting of a hard foam shell or ball wrapped in fuses that lead to a small black powder charge within. The ball bursts shortly after contact with flame at a specific temperature, dispersing a cloud of ABC dry chemical powder which extinguishes the fire. The coverage area is about 5 m2 (54 sq ft). One benefit of this type is that it may be used for passive suppression. The ball can be placed in a fire-prone area and will deploy automatically if a fire develops, being triggered by heat.

It may also be manually operated by rolling or tossing into a fire. Most modern extinguishers of this type are designed to make a loud noise upon deployment.

UNSPSC 46191622 Fire extinguishing ball or patch is a Commodity code covering specialized portable fire protection equipment and related inspection, maintenance, and certification services that state and local governments procure for operational facilities, emergency response infrastructure, and equipment fleets. Recent state and local solicitations under this code and related fire suppression categories reveal a marketplace dominated by routine fire extinguisher and suppression system services—inspection, recharging, hydrostatic testing, repair, and replacement of portable extinguishers and fixed systems—alongside emerging demand for specialized tank fabrication, alarm system testing, and protective clothing for active fire departments. County, municipal, school district, and special-purpose district buyers dominate, with Florida jurisdictions and California municipalities appearing most frequently in recent postings. Brevard County Board of County Commissioners issued a sole-source procurement (4841110) for United Plastics Fabricating Inc. fabrication and repair of UPF brand polypropylene water and foam tank assemblies for fire apparatus, valued at $11,000 and closed November 17, 2025. The City of Bradenton released an IFB (26042JS) for comprehensive fire systems testing, maintenance, and certification across nine facilities, with proposals due October 21, 2026, requiring Florida Fire Protection Contractor licensing and NFPA compliance. Escambia County Department of Waste Services, Pinellas County, the City of Milpitas, and Waukesha County, Wisconsin have all solicited fire extinguisher and system inspection services under ITQ, IFB, and competitive bid mechanisms in the past six months.

Geographic activity clusters in Florida (Brevard, Escambia, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Tallahassee), California (Milpitas, Palo Alto), Georgia (Cherokee County Schools, Bibb County Schools, Douglas County, Stephens County Schools), and Texas (Harlingen ISD, Dallas, Irving), with additional recent opportunities in Colorado (Boulder County Housing Authority), Wisconsin (Waukesha County), Arizona (Maricopa County Community College District), and the District of Columbia (Events DC). Fire extinguisher services account for the largest volume of recent solicitations, with scope spanning 485 to 3,000 units per jurisdiction and contracts typically structured as one- to five-year terms on firm fixed-price unit-cost or hourly-rate bases. Certification and licensing requirements are stringent across all states—California State Fire Marshal Portable Fire Extinguisher Concern License, Florida Division of State Fire Marshal credentials, NFPA 10 compliance, and NICET certification for certain roles—creating barriers to entry but establishing stable, recurring revenue streams. Set-asides and preferences appear selectively: Pinellas County applies SBE preferential pricing, Hillsborough County Schools encourages small business enterprise participation with evaluation scoring, and Douglas County, Georgia mandates 15 percent local vendor and DBE participation minimums. Incumbent vendors are named in several procurements (Majestics Fire Inc. at Orange County Transportation Authority, Thompson Safety LLC at Pinellas County), signaling mature competitive markets where contract renewals and extensions are common. Response-time requirements cluster around 24 hours for routine service and 4 hours for emergencies, with on-site labor billed on hourly rates, travel time typically excluded, and materials marked up 5 to 30 percent above cost. Recent opportunities emphasize compliance documentation, detailed invoicing by service type, loaner equipment provisions during repairs, and comprehensive insurance (Commercial General Liability $1 million per occurrence is standard). The code shows consistent, broad-based demand across issuing-body types and geographies, with most opportunities posted in spring and summer months for July–September award windows.