Fire Watch Job Description

Fire Watch Departures

Every hour, fire watch rounds are completed in 15-minute intervals. Fire watch personnel need to keep a record of their rounds. They should have the address of the facility, the time that the patrol began and completed, and their name on their log.

They should be wearing a form of identification. Fire watch personnel should only perform their duties relating to their area of building property. When "hot work" is being performed at the site, fire watch responsibilities include preparation and record-keeping, as well as checking the area before work is performed to ensure all the materials are out of the area.

They make sure that the holes are sealed with fire proof materials. The fire watch should be maintained for at least 30 minutes after the hot work is done. All areas where sparks may have flown need to be checked for fire dangers.

Fire Watches: A Requirement for Property Ownership

Fire watches can be overwhelming for many property owners and can be expensive, given the diversion of manpower or hiring of outside contractors to keep a watch on the building. When a fire protection system is undergoing quick repairs or revisions, it is important that the execution of one is straightforward. The National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code requires that if the fire alarm system is out for more than eight hours, the AHJs must be informed.

The condition and features of other fire protection systems, as well as the duration of the impairment, are also weighed by the AHJs. If fire protection systems are out of service for more than 4 hours in a day, many AHJs require fire watches, building evacuates, or ready firefighters. Fire watches are a requirement for most property owners, which is a good thing.

The National Fire Protection Association reports that between 2013 and 2017, the US fire departments responded to an average of 4, 630 fires in which 15 people died and $355 million in property damage was lost. Fire watches are required for any hot work activity and for at least 30 minutes after the work is done to reduce the potential for large fire losses. There is only one exception when there are no fire dangers or materials that can cause fires.

3504.2.1 is required when necessary. A fire watch will be provided during hot work activities and will last for 30 minutes after the work is over. The fire code official is authorized to extend the fire watch based on the work being done.

The hot work area has no fire dangers or exposure to fire. 3504.2.2 is located in the United States. The entire hot work area will be included in the fire watch.

The Fire Protection System of a Building

The requirements for how to respond to sprinkler in your fire protection system are contained in Chapter 15 of the LSC's LSC Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems. In cases where the fire alarm signaling system is not working, a fire watch may be needed. Emergency impairments can include an interruption in the water supply to the system, frozen or rupturing pipes, equipment failure, and any impairments that are identified during inspections of the system.

The Code covers pre planned impairments that occur when the system must be shut down for a period of time to allow for open flame operations, such as welding in an area with automatic fire detection systems, or to be disconnected for the purposes of testing and maintenance. The question of how much of the fire protection system must be impaired to cause a fire watch is not addressed in the standards, but a fire watch should be implemented if a significant portion of the system cannot operate as intended. The requirement to implement a fire watch is triggered by the amount of time that the system is impaired, regardless of the nature of the impairment.

The fire watch requires the patrol of all areas of the building to look for evidence of smoke, fire or abnormal conditions. If a life-threatening situation is discovered, the person conducting the fire watch must immediately contact emergency personnel, alert the inhabitants to the emergency and assist in their evacuate. Fire watchers must check all the areas affected by the impairment, including the occupied areas, as well as the areas that are not occupied.

It is important that those conducting a fire watch are familiar with the equipment they are watching. They must know the location of all the fire alarm stations and the fire protection equipment that is available to them. All activities associated with a fire watch must be documented.

The training for anyone conducting a fire watch must include how to fill out log sheets. The fire watch must remain effect until the entire system is restored to working order and the fire department is notified, only after any necessary tests and inspections have been conducted to verify that the systems are working. There are sprinkler and alarm malfunction that happen every day.

A Fire Watch on-site

If your sprinkler system has become unreliable or is unable to protect you from a fire, you need a fire watch on-site to avoid fines, liability and potential losses. The fire watch is not specified in the standards by the National Fire Protection Association. A fire watch is needed if the fire system or part of it cannot operate as it should.

It is necessary to institute a fire watch despite the impairment. During a fire watch, all areas of the affected building must be continuously monitored for smoke, fire, or any other abnormal conditions. If a life-threatening situation occurs, the person who is conducting the fire watch must immediately contact emergency personnel and notify all building occupants to the emergency.

The fire watch must inspect unoccupied areas such as crawl spaces, storage rooms, and other hidden areas. It is advised that anyone involved with a fire watch be familiar with the building and equipment that they are keeping watch over. They need to know where the fire alarm stations are located if they need to put out a fire.