Ensuring Building Safety: Meet Fire Watch Requirements and Monitor Alarms

Fire watch requirements are necessary for maintaining safety in buildings, especially during times when standard fire protection systems - like sprinklers - are unavailable. Whether you have maintenance needs, system failure, or construction work being done, fire watch procedures make sure that your building remains protected.

The process of meeting these needs, however, can be challenging without the right tools. Together, we'll explore:

• The challenges of meeting fire watch requirements without a strong monitoring system.
• Commonly used solutions that are, unfortunately, inadequate.
• How the right fire alarm monitoring system can help meet these requirements.

What is a "Fire Watch"?

NFPA 101 establishes the following definition of a "fire watch":

3.3.110 Fire Watch. The assignment of a person or persons to an area for the express purpose of notifying the fire department, the building occupants, or both of an emergency; preventing a fire from occurring; extinguishing small fires; protecting the public from fire or life safety dangers.

When is a Fire Watch Required?

I must emphasize that this is going to vary based on your local regulations and AHJ. However, you shouldn't be surprised to find fire watch requirements along the lines of:

• Whenever your fire alarm system is disabled for 4 hours or more.
• Whenever your fire sprinkler system is disabled for 10 hours or more.

Various NFPA Codes, including NFPA 25 Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems (for fire sprinklers) and the general NFPA 101 Life Safety Code, dictate when you must conduct fire watches.

What is Required for a Fire Watch to be Compliant with NFPA Code?

Again, your AHJ has the final say here, but we can look at some typical requirements:

• Fire watch personnel must be adequately trained in preventing, recognizing, and extinguishing fires. This includes understanding different types of combustible materials, using and maintaining fire protection equipment, and following general safety procedures.
• Each fire watch should be conducted by at least two trained individuals who can take appropriate action in an emergency.
• Fire watches must be performed at regular intervals throughout the day or night, as specified by NFPA regulations.
• A written record of all fire watch services must be maintained, including the names of personnel on duty, locations inspected, inspection times, any incidents or hazards noted, and corrective actions taken.
• Fire watch personnel need access to a reliable communication source to quickly and effectively report incidents or hazardous conditions.

You'll Struggle Without Effective Monitoring Solutions

As you can see from the above requirements, fire watch procedures can quickly become overwhelming. This is why you should depend on a good fire alarm monitoring system the vast majority of the time. The traditional fire watch technique relies heavily on human vigilance, which - while necessary - is full of challenges and massive expenses.

Personnel must patrol the premises frequently, which can lead to missed checks or delayed responses during emergencies. This is especially true for large or complex buildings. Maintaining accurate logs and ensuring all areas are regularly monitored is difficult to achieve consistently.

The Ideal Alarm Proprietary Monitoring System is Centralized and Flexible

A strong fire alarm monitoring system is essential for avoiding fire watch requirements day-to-day. An ideal system should offer comprehensive coverage, real-time alerts, detailed event logging, and integration with existing fire protection systems. Here’s what such a system would look like:

• Real-Time Monitoring and Alerts: A reliable fire alarm monitoring system must provide real-time monitoring of all fire detection devices, ensuring that any potential threat is detected and communicated instantly.
• Centralized Control and Management: The system should allow for centralized control, where all alarms and monitoring devices are integrated into a single platform. This setup makes sure that personnel have a complete overview of the building’s status.
• Automated Event Logging: Automated logging of all fire-related events is needed. This feature not only aids in compliance with fire watch regulations but also helps in post-incident analysis and reporting. A good system should automatically record alarms, acknowledgments, and other relevant activities. This reduces the chance of human error.
• Scalability and Flexibility: The system should be scalable to cover buildings of any size and adaptable to various layouts and fire protection needs. Whether monitoring a single building or a large campus, the system should maintain consistent performance and reliability.

What Monitoring System Will Help You Avoid Fire Watches?

Digitize builds a variety of devices that meet the requirements of different fire codes.

For avoiding fire watch requirements with good fire alarm monitoring, the System 3505 Prism LX serves as a versatile and powerful fire alarm monitoring solution. The Prism LX integrates various alarm points into a single, manageable interface, providing real-time alerts and detailed event logs. This system supports many different inputs and many different eras of technology.

When you need to monitor multiple areas from a distance, the Remote Annunciator is an excellent addition. This device allows personnel to monitor System 3505 Prism LX activity from different locations within the building. It features a 23" high-resolution touchscreen display, customizable alarms, and filtering options that make sure only the most critical alerts are highlighted. This flexibility and ease of use make it an ideal tool for maintaining fire watch compliance in large facilities.

Digitize also offers various communication options, such as the AlarmLan Server, which allows multiple Prism LX units to share information over an Ethernet network. This networked approach enhances reliability and upholds comprehensive monitoring even in the most challenging environments.

Enhance Your Monitoring and Ensure Compliance

Meeting fire watch requirements is a critical aspect of building safety, and it's required by most municipalities when fire protection systems are compromised. While makeshift solutions might provide temporary relief, they often fall short in sustaining compliance and safety. A strong remote fire alarm monitoring system, like those offered by Digitize, provides the necessary tools to avoid most expensive fire watches.

By integrating real-time monitoring, centralized control, and automated logging into your alarm monitoring, you can make sure that your building remains safe and compliant at all times.

To learn more about how Digitize can help you meet your alarm monitoring requirements, talk to a Digitize engineer today.

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