Life Safety System Impairment - Fire Watch

Section 3 - FIRE PREVENTION

PURPOSE:

• When a Maitland Fire Rescue crew responds to a building and finds that a fire alarm is out of service, contact should be made with the building representative as soon as possible.

A fire watch must be established in the following scenarios:

• A fire alarm has been out of service, or is anticipated to be out of service, for more than 8 hours; A fire alarm will be considered out of service if a substantial portion of the system is inoperative or monitoring capabilities are no longer functioning
• A fire sprinkler system has been out of service, or will be out of service, for more than 10 hours.
• An information card shall be provided to the building representative. It is the responsibility of the company officer to acquire the name, phone number, and email address of the individual that is provided the information card. This information shall be furnished to the Fire Marshal as soon as possible.
  • If crews arrive on scene of an impaired life safety system located in a high hazard occupancy such as a multi-family building, ALFs, or other buildings where the company officer feels that variables exists, that may, without a proper fire watch, negatively impact life, property, or the environment, and cannot reach a building representative after multiple attempts, the following procedures shall be followed:
  • Determine if a hazard exists.
  • Silence the fire alarm.
  • Make multiple attempts to contact building representatives.
  • Contact the on duty Battalion Chief and Fire Marshal to advise of the situation.
  • The crew shall remain on scene, and begin fire watch procedures, until a competent individual representing the building has arrived. It is the discretion of the Battalion Chief to rotate crews for the duration of the fire watch, as long as a crew remains on scene at all times.
  • During the patrol of the area, fire watch personnel should not only be looking for fire, but making sure that the other fire protection features of the building such as egress routes and alarm systems are available and functioning properly.

• If the fire alarm impairment occurs in a building that does not provide a high hazard, and a representative cannot be reached, an email to the Fire Marshal shall be provided immediately indicating the issues found along with the names and phone numbers of the listed contacts for that building.