Fire Watch Security: Everything You Need to Know

According to the National Fire Protection Association, there were a total of 522,500 structure fires in the U.S. in 2022. One hundred and forty thousand of them occurred in commercial and non-residential structures, and more than 382,000 were in residential structures — with 80,000 in apartment buildings and multi-family homes alone.

Without a fire watch security team to ensure compliance with fire safety regulations, these tragic numbers would be even higher.

In California, where there are thousands of wildfires each year, fire watch is a common and important practice. Property owners and property managers must take the necessary steps to prevent their buildings and businesses from going up in flames. Many rely on professional fire watch security teams to do it for them.

Here’s what you need to know before hiring a California security company to handle your building’s fire watch needs.

What is Fire Watch Security?

Fire watch is a fire prevention strategy. Security teams that specialize in fire watch work to identify potential fire hazards, detect early warning signs of a fire, and sound an alarm that notifies the local fire department if a blaze begins.

On-site fire watch patrol is required for California buildings and construction sites in the following circumstances:

• When a building is under construction
• When a building is undergoing an alteration
• When a building is under demolition
• When “hot work” (work that uses or generates fire) is being done
• When a building is under maintenance
• When a building’s fire protection system is compromised

A compromised fire protection system can occur at any time. Building managers and property owners must staff firewatch security professionals any time a fire alarm system, fire sprinkler system, standpipe, water supply, or fire suppression system is out of service.

Whether this occurs as the result of a power outage, malfunctioning building system, or scheduled maintenance that requires the dismantling of a fire safety system, fire watch is necessary.

Fire watch is both a method of fire prevention and a proactive approach to fire safety. It requires close oversight of potential fire hazards. Depending on the size of the area, it can require anywhere from a single person to a team of people.

Many building managers, property managers, and property owners choose to hire fire watch security professionals to handle this for them. It is possible to train your own staff to handle fire watch procedures, but the job requires compliance with the California fire code, which can be complex.

What Do Fire Watch Security Teams Do?

Every professional security team that provides fire watch services in California knows and understands the state’s fire code, which carries many requirements. It requires a trained professional who can ensure compliance with all details of the code.

Monitor Fire Hazards During Hot Work

Fire watch is required during all hot work, such as welding, soldering, brazing, grinding, cutting, using open flames, and thawing pipes. Fire watch professionals must be on site during all hours of hot work, as well as for 30 minutes after the work has been completed.

Fire Watch Security Guards Patrol the Area

Designated personnel must perform consistent patrols of every area of the site or building, and they must do so at least once per hour. To be as efficient as possible, the best firewatch guards know their building or property inside and out.

Guards should be vigilant and remain on the lookout for potential fire risks. To do so, they undergo training to know where to look and what signs to look for.

Reactivate Disabled Systems

Disabled fire prevention systems may occur as the result of scheduled building maintenance or an unexpected power outage. Regardless of the reason, fire watch guards must undergo the necessary training to reactivate disabled systems and restore fire safety measures.

Fire Watch Security Teams Keep a Logbook

Part of the role of a fire watch guard is to keep a logbook of all fire watch activities. The logbook serves as an official record to show that fire watch procedures were followed when required.

The logbook must also contain the names, telephone numbers, and contact information of trained professionals who can be called during an emergency if a blaze occurs.

Establish Protocols in the Event of a Fire

Professional fire watch security teams develop evacuation plans to ensure that people can safely evacuate the building in the event of a fire. Should a fire occur, the on-duty guard is responsible to execute the plan.

This involves knowing how to use fire-extinguishing equipment to extinguish spot fires. It also includes notifying the fire department and alerting building occupants when an evacuation is necessary.

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The Benefits of Hiring a Professional Fire Watch Security Service in California

It is possible to designate members of your own staff to conduct fire watch, but it takes time and requires you to adhere to many statewide standards. Most property owners and building managers prefer to hire professionals to do it for them, which can provide peace of mind as well as a number of other benefits.

Fire Watch Teams Have Professional Training

Fire watch security teams undergo rigorous professional training to prepare them for the job. They are dedicated professionals who care about fire prevention, and they know what it takes to adhere to the standards and codes of the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA).

During training, fire watch security guards learn how to:

• Spot potential fire hazards, such as flammable substances
• Use fire extinguishers and fire suppression equipment
• Provide quick emergency response in the event of a crisis
• Comply with all aspects of the California state fire code

Training programs also teach fire watch guards how to use personal protective equipment, how to communicate in emergency situations, how to conduct patrols, and how to document fire watch procedures and events in a logbook.

Fire Watch Security Officers Can Provide 24/7 Protection

The need for fire watch patrol can occur when you least expect it. Some scenarios that require fire watch may be easier to plan for than others, such as when fire suppression infrastructure is temporarily disabled during scheduled building maintenance.

But when fire watch is needed at a moment’s notice, such during a power outage or following a burst water pipe, it’s important to have trained guards who can immediately respond.

The best way to ensure 24/7 oversight of your property is to hire professional fire watch protection services. The larger the building, and the bigger the area in need of mobile patrols, the more important this becomes.

If your building or property is large enough to require more than one fire watch guard, it’s best to hire a professional team. Many property owners find that it’s easier and more efficient to contact a security firm, who can then handle the details of dispatching trained guards under short notice.

Local Municipalities Have Different Rules

While there is a statewide California fire code, some municipalities have rules that go above and beyond state law.

For example, some cities and counties allow security officers to double as fire watch guards — provided they’ve completed all training obligations for CAL-OSHA. But this isn’t the case in every city or county.

According to the Oxnard Fire Department in Ventura County, “fire watch personnel cannot have other duties besides their assigned fire watch, unless directed by the Fire Department.” San Diego County has a similar rule.

The specific rules for fire watch patrol will vary from county to county. While some cities require hourly patrols, the fire watch regulations in Los Angeles require guards to patrol each area once every 30 minutes.

Professional Guards Can Simplify Fire Safety and Prevention

When you hire professional fire watch security guard services, you don’t have to worry about keeping up to date with the laws in your city or town. It can be time-consuming to stay informed about the latest updates to the fire code, and even more so if you own or manage multiple buildings in multiple cities that have different regulations and rules.

Professional guards remain current on all fire watch regulations so you don’t have to.

How to Find a Fire Watch Security Team

If a fire watch is required and you aren’t prepared, the fire marshal may step in to provide you with a team of fire prevention experts — at a cost, of course.

Don’t wait for the fire marshal to tell you that your property needs fire watch security. Whether you’re managing a construction site, an office building, or an apartment building, it’s important to take a proactive approach and have a team who can provide fire watch services when needed.

There are many fire watch security guard companies throughout California. Use Security Explorer to find the best fire watch security services near you.

Security Explorer makes it easy to find professional guards in every part of the state. You can rest assured that the guards are well trained, have met the required education standards, and are dedicated to providing California property owners, managers, and occupants with top-quality fire watch and fire safety measures.

Fire watch protects your property and saves lives. Property managers have a duty to implement fire watch security measures and hire a fire prevention professional who has the training to handle the job.

Visit Security Explorer to hire fire watch security, armed security, or other security guard services in California.