Calculate Fire Watch Staffing: A Practical Guide to Coverage, Compliance, and Cost Control

Any facility that handles hot work or operates in a high-risk environment requires a well-planned fire watch strategy (or, ideally, an approved automated alternative).

You have a responsibility to protect people and property - as well as maintain compliance with national and local codes. When doing so, it's important that you don't drain your budget on an oversized patrol team.

From the layout of your building to local authority requirements, this guide will show you how to calculate the necessary fire watch headcount. I'll also give you insights into where you can cut costs and still achieve the best-fit monitoring solution.

Start With the Physical Space: What Needs Watching?

You can't know how many fire watch personnel to assign until you figure out what space they need to cover.

• Small, contained areas: A single mechanical room or a rooftop unit may only need one trained fire watch person.
• Large or multi-floor buildings: Multi-level structures often need one fire watch staffer per floor or per zone. If you have a 4-story building, plan for at least four watchers - one for each story.
• Obstructed layouts: Complex corridors, locked areas, or spaces with limited lines of sight may demand more staff to sustain total visibility.

Remember, a fire watch isn't just "standing by." Most AHJs (Authorities Having Jurisdiction) require active patrols - often at intervals of 15–30 minutes. Map out your patrol routes, then calculate how many people you need to handle those rounds without missing any areas.

Your AHJ Has a Say (And Probably a Rulebook)

Even if your internal risk assessment points one way, your local fire marshal or AHJ might have stricter requirements.

Common mandates include:

• Minimum staffing levels
• Patrol intervals (every 15, 30, or 60 minutes)
• 24/7 coverage if critical systems are down
• Training qualifications (e.g., NFPA or OSHA guidelines)

AHJs create these rules based on occupancy type, hazard level, and the status of your fire protection systems. It's best to consult them early in your planning process. That way, you don't end up reconfiguring or adding staff at the last minute.

What's Actually Happening in the Space?

Not all sites carry the same level of risk. Two key factors come into play:

1. Hot Work (Cutting, Welding, Grinding): Under NFPA 51B, a trained fire watch person must monitor the activity and stay at least 30 minutes afterward to make sure no hidden sparks ignite. High-risk operations may require extending that post-work watch time.
2. High-Hazard Environments: Areas with combustible materials, chemical storage, or sensitive equipment (like data centers) often need extra coverage. Where fire risk is high, response times must be low. This means you'll likely need more personnel.

If you're running a quick welding project in an isolated spot, you might get by with only a bit of increased staffing in that one location. But if you're dealing with multi-area hot work in a facility packed with flammable materials, be ready to scale up your watch.

Don't Forget About Shifts and Human Limitations

A fire watch often extends beyond normal business hours, especially if a critical alarm system is offline. You might even need 24/7 patrols until repairs are complete.

As an example, consider a 4-story commercial building with one patrol person per floor, every 30 minutes, around the clock. This means there are:

• 4 people per shift
• 3 shifts per day
• Total = 12 individuals

That doesn't include backups or sick coverage. You can see how the logistics can get expensive fast.

If your watch is more than a day or two, it's a major budget item. That's one reason many facilities look to alternative monitoring solutions that reduce the need for large watch teams.

Consider the Communication Tools Your Fire Watch Needs

You can have the most dedicated fire watch staff in the world, but if they can't report an emergency immediately, that's a weak point. Essential tools include:

• Reliable two-way radios or communication devices (cell signals can drop in some areas)
• Detailed emergency contact procedures (knowing exactly who to call and when)
• Central logbooks or digital reporting systems (to document patrol rounds and identify issues)

Large sites benefit from a central command point or coordinator who manages shift transitions and handles escalations. If you use a system like the System 3505 Prism LX, you can also integrate alerts and updates in real time. Doing so allows your team to stay on the same page.

When Should You Scale Up (or Down) Fire Watch Coverage?

Fire watch requirements change with your operations. You may need to increase coverage if:

• You introduce new flammable materials or equipment
• Your building layout becomes more complex (due to construction or added security areas)
• Your AHJ enforces tighter patrol intervals

On the other hand, you can decrease coverage if:

• Hot work or other high-risk tasks have wrapped up
• Your fire suppression or alarm system is back online, helping you avoid costly fire-watch labor time
• Occupancy drops (e.g., an event ends, or a temporary workspace closes)

Keep a close eye on these changing variables. Overstaffing wastes your money, while understaffing puts your facility at risk. Finding the right balance brings both savings and protection.

Integrate Fire Watch into Emergency Preparedness Plans

Fire watch shouldn't be a random "one and done" procedure. By building it into your emergency preparedness program, you'll be more organized and compliant. Incorporate fire watch procedures into:

• Your fire safety plan
• Emergency staffing matrix (who gets called in specific scenarios)
• Internal drills and training
• Risk assessments and insurance reviews

Properly documented fire watch protocols not only improve safety but also give you a clear blueprint if something goes wrong. Solid documentation also allows you to show your AHJ how you handle system outages.

Estimate Fire Watch Costs Before They Get Too High

Let's talk dollars and cents. Suppose each fire watch staff member is paid $25/hour (and that's probably pretty conservative in 2025), and you need four people per shift for three shifts per day. The cost breakdown would be:

• $25 x 4 = $100/hour
• $100 x 24 = $2,400/day
• $2,400 x 7 = $16,800/week

For a single building, a multi-week system outage could easily cost tens of thousands of dollars. If you manage multiple facilities, fire watch expenses can escalate quickly. That's why planning out your fire watch in advance is a smart choice.

It's also why many organizations look for ways to limit the duration or scope of fire watch.

Minimize Fire Watch Costs with the Right Devices

Fire watches are often a temporary fix when your fire alarm system is offline - but they can quickly become expensive. Instead of paying for round-the-clock patrols, a smarter long-term solution is to upgrade your monitoring infrastructure.

The Prism LX offers a powerful way to maintain supervisory coverage even when legacy systems fail or during system outages. By supporting redundant connections and multiple communication protocols, the Prism LX stays online when other systems don't.

The system allows you to require fewer personnel to patrol empty hallways. It also provides faster hazard detection as well as better compliance with NFPA and other regulatory codes. The system can streamline your fire watch process by ensuring that your monitoring remains active - even during equipment failures or maintenance periods.

For many facilities, this results in a clear return on investment (ROI). Rather than paying ongoing labor costs for manual fire watch coverage, a one-time upgrade to the Prism LX delivers long-term savings while improving safety and compliance across the board.

Get Better Fire Alarm Monitoring

If you're anticipating a fire watch situation - or in the middle of one - this is the perfect time to explore how a strong alarm monitoring system can reduce staffing needs. A few key benefits:

• Better compliance: Satisfy AHJ standards and keep your operation running.
• Lower labor costs: Replace large teams of patrolling personnel with reliable digital oversight.
• Faster response: An automated system notifies you the moment something's wrong.

Fire watch isn't just a checkbox for compliance. It's about life safety and asset protection. You don't have to rely on costly, large-scale coverage forever, though.

By combining a reliable monitoring backbone (like the Prism LX) with a thoughtful staffing strategy, you keep your facility safe, maintain compliance, and avoid unnecessary spending.

Ask Questions or Get a Custom Plan

Call 1-800-523-7232 or email info@digitize-inc.com.

We'll help you design a solution that works best for your site, your budget, and your peace of mind.