Fire watch

Rules for a fire watch

Under the fire code, a fire watch is a temporary measure. It keeps people safe while the system that normally protects them is down. The International Fire Code lays this out in section 901.7. Once a required system is out of service, notify the fire department plus the code official without delay. That official is the person in your area who enforces fire rules, and many people call them the fire marshal.

From there, the official can have the building evacuated or require an approved watch. That watch continues until the system is working again.

Local requirements vary, and some areas set time limits for alarm and sprinkler outages. In Cobb County, Georgia, if an alarm is out for more than 4 hours within a 24-hour period, you have to give notice and then either evacuate or put an approved watch in place. For sprinklers, the limit is more than 10 hours in 24.

Sprinkler outages also fall under NFPA 25, Chapter 15. An impairment means any period when the sprinklers cannot do what they should. That standard requires these steps:

1. The owner picks one impairment coordinator to manage the outage from beginning to end.
2. A tag marking the impairment is placed on each fire department connection and each control valve, so crews can see the protection is offline.
3. The insurance carrier, alarm provider, owner, and local fire office all get notice of the outage.

Your fire marshal decides whether you evacuate or keep a watch. If it's a watch, it runs until the system is working again, and we can cover every hour of it.

A sprinkler valve fails at 6 p.m.

Say you manage a building and a sprinkler valve breaks at 6 p.m. The fire marshal wants a watch tonight. Notify the fire department and fire marshal right away, then call us now to arrange the watch the fire marshal requires tonight. The watch stays in place until the valve is fixed and protection is restored.

What the guard looks for

The guard's job is to patrol the building without a break, and the building also needs at least one approved way to reach the fire department. On every pass, Cobb County's guide has the guard look at:

• Anything that might ignite
• Exit routes, kept open
• Self-closing doors, left free to shut
• Any sprinklers still working

Who may take the watch?

Your fire official decides that. Cobb County keeps its own roster of people approved for fire watch duty.

New York City sets a higher bar. Its F-01 rules say a fire watch must be staffed by people holding a Certificate of Fitness. During the first 4 hours, a trained person chosen by the owner can cover an area up to 50,000 square feet. Once 4 hours pass, only F-01 holders can continue.

Picking a fire watch service

A fire watch service provides trained guards who patrol for the whole time your system is out. Bringing one in makes sense when your staff cannot cover overnight patrols, or when your official asks for guards with certification. If you need an approved fire watch, call us now and we'll have guards patrolling until the system is repaired.

What a fire watch costs

Published rates are quoted per person per hour, so the number of guards and the length of the watch affect the total. Published prices look like this.

Hillsborough County charges $50 per person per hour with a 4-hour minimum. Call us for a quote on your watch.

Hot work watch

Sparks from welding and cutting can ignite something far from where the torch is. OSHA rule 1910.252 requires fire watchers anywhere more than a minor fire could take hold. Burnable material within 35 feet of the work is one trigger.

The watcher has to be trained, with extinguishers within reach. They stay on site for at least a half hour once the work is done.