IMO this statement is not accurate. It may be that the conditions that would cause an FP breaker to fail haven't been met yet in this residence. I replaced an FP panel in my last house and it is my understanding that the problem is they fail to trip when the load exceeds the breakers limit creating the potential fire hazard.
If they aren't "tested" by an excessive load they may last forever but still be a potential safety problem under the right conditions.
FPE stands for, "Fu**ing Poor Equipment"
FPE was sued out of existence.
Pictureshttp://inspectapedia.com/fpe/FPE_Fire_Photographs.php
