A fire watch service is a safety measure designed to ensure your premises are properly protected from the threat of fire. Fire watch services are used when there is an increased risk of fire on your site – due to, for example, alarm systems and sprinklers being deactivated for longer than four hours, “hot work” (such as welding) taking place and during hazardous demolitions.
A “fire watch” is a person who is solely responsible for monitoring fire risks, looking out for fire and ensuring fire safety best practice is adhered to throughout your premises. Our experienced, qualified fire watch staff will become intimately familiar with your buildings or premises, will eliminate fire risks and will ensure complete fire safety compliance.
Walking Watch
In the year 2017, the tragic incident of the Grenfell Tower fire underscored a significant safety issue pertaining to numerous high-rise structures throughout the United Kingdom. Many of these buildings were equipped with highly hazardous exterior cladding, necessitating the implementation of additional fire safety measures.
In response to these findings, the introduction of the Waking Watch service became imperative, with the aim of transitioning from the prevailing ‘stay put’ guidance provided to residents in the event of a fire to a temporary strategy involving simultaneous evacuation.
Waking Watch services entail the deployment of fire marshal officers who have undergone rigorous training to conduct continuous surveillance of high-rise buildings, around the clock. Their duties encompass vigilant monitoring for any indications of a potential fire and, when necessary, providing assistance during the evacuation process.
What is Walking Watch?
A waking watch service constitutes a fire safety measure entailing uninterrupted monitoring of a building by duly trained fire marshals. In accordance with the National Fire Chiefs Council, as outlined in their document titled ‘Guidance to Support a Temporary Change to a Simultaneous Evacuation Strategy in Purpose-built Blocks of Flats’:
“A waking watch is an immediate solution to reduce the risk in a building and allow for continued occupation where, without them, the risk of fire may lead a Responsible Person to determine occupation is no longer appropriate or lead an FRS to serve a prohibition notice.”
The primary duty of waking watch officers is to conduct continuous patrols throughout each floor of the building, as well as its exterior perimeter, with the objective of identifying any fires or potential fire-related risks.
In the event of fire detection, fire marshals bear the responsibility of promptly sounding the alarm, notifying all residents about the situation, and supervising the simultaneous evacuation of the building.
Moreover, waking watch officers are tasked with immediate communication to the local fire brigade upon detecting any issue, subsequently collaborating with them upon their arrival to expedite their response and enhance the likelihood of effective fire containment.
Waking watch services are strategically designed to serve as a comforting presence in properties with fire safety concerns, instilling confidence in residents that, in the event of a fire, they and their loved ones will receive swift notification, with the situation managed by highly trained and experienced fire wardens.
What are the responsibilities of a Walking Watch?
The precise duties to be carried out by fire marshals as part of the waking watch services provided will be contingent upon the specific characteristics of the concerned building and the site-specific assignment directives provided.
Nevertheless, in a broader context, the responsibilities of waking watch fire marshals encompass the following:
- Conducting mobile patrols of the entire premises at predetermined intervals to detect any potential fire-related indications or hazards.
- Ensuring the unobstructed accessibility of all fire escape routes, devoid of tripping hazards or any impediments.
- Compiling detailed and real-time reports of their observations, which may include recommendations for the implementation of additional fire safety measures on the premises.
- Promptly notifying all residents in the event of a fire occurrence.
- Conducting risk assessments to guarantee the deployment of all conceivable preventive measures.
- Initiating and supervising the evacuation protocol.
- Notifying the appropriate emergency services of the situation.
- Offering assistance and establishing communication with the fire service as circumstances dictate.