Provider comparisons · California
A California-licensed alternative to Commercial Fire
Portfolio owners comparing national brands usually want predictable inspection cadence and one invoice. In California the constraint is licensing and local AHJ familiarity, both of which are location-specific.
Commercial Fire (commercialfire.com) is a separate company with no affiliation to Fireside Security. We publish no claims about their services — go read their site and compare for yourself. Everything below about Fireside is publicly verifiable.
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What actually matters in this comparison
- Whether inspection cadence is tracked per site with reminders
- Whether invoicing consolidates across locations
- Which California offices actually staff technicians
- Whether monitoring accounts can be migrated without new hardware
Side by side
Fireside's answers, and the questions to bring
| What to compare | Fireside Security | Ask Commercial Fire the same |
|---|---|---|
| California contractor license | CSLB #978023, C-10 Electrical. Verifiable on the CSLB license lookup before you sign anything. | Ask for the CSLB number and check the class, status, bond, and workers' comp yourself. |
| Alarm company operator license | BSIS ACO #7133. Technicians are BSIS-registered, which California requires for alarm work. | Ask for the ACO number and confirm it is active with BSIS, not just an out-of-state license. |
| Central station monitoring | UL-Listed monitoring under UUFX S36457, 24/7/365. | Ask for the UL listing number of the central station that will actually receive your signals. |
| Who does the engineering and permitting | In-house. Fireside handles plan submittal, AHJ corrections, inspection, and closeout as one team. | Ask whether design, permitting, install, and service are the same company or subcontracted. |
| Geographic focus | California only, with offices in Santa Fe Springs, Hayward, San Mateo, and Sacramento. | Ask which physical office will dispatch your service calls and how far away it is. |
| Scope under one vendor | Fire alarm, monitoring, access control, video, intercom, and POTS replacement from one contractor. | Ask which parts of your scope get handed to a third party you'll never meet. |
| Years in operation | Operating since 1999. | Ask how long the local branch — not the parent holding company — has served your area. |
Questions
About this comparison
- Is Fireside Security affiliated with Commercial Fire?
- No. It is a separate, unaffiliated company. This page is written for California buyers comparing commercial fire protection providers.
- Can you take over monitoring on our existing panels?
- In most cases yes. Fireside can migrate monitoring on existing panels to its UL-Listed central station, and will tell you up front when a panel or communicator genuinely needs replacing — for example after a POTS line retirement.
- How do I check a California fire alarm contractor's license?
- Look up the license number on the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) site and confirm the alarm company operator license with the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS). Fireside Security holds CSLB #978023 (C-10 Electrical), ACO #7133, and UL-Listed monitoring UUFX S36457.
- Where does Fireside Security operate?
- California only, with offices in Santa Fe Springs, Hayward, San Mateo, Sacramento. Fireside has operated since 1999.
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