ServicesWaking (fire) watch
Someone awake on every floor, all night
A waking watch goes in when a building's fire safety cannot be relied on as designed: cladding being replaced, an alarm that is faulty, or a stay-put policy that has been suspended. Our officers walk every floor and stairwell without a break, spot the first signs of fire, raise the alarm and help people out.
Sectors we cover
- Hospitality
- Retail
- Residential
- Corporate
- Events
- Construction
- + sites that fall between them
When the alarm cannot be trusted, a person takes its place.
24/7
Cover your fire risk assessment calls for
Every
Floor and stairwell patrolled
Logged
Patrol times recorded
Inducted
Into your building before starting
Continuous, not now and then.
A fire that starts between patrols is exactly what a waking watch is there to catch. Officers keep moving through every floor, stairwell and common area for the whole shift, and each round is timed.
Floors and stairwells
Walked one after another, no long gaps.
Bin stores and plant rooms
The places fires often start, checked every round.
Times recorded
Each patrol logged so gaps would show.
The first sign of fire.
Officers are trained to notice the early signs: a smell of burning, a haze in a corridor, a door that is warm to the touch. They raise the alarm at once and call the fire and rescue service.
Smell, smoke, heat, sound
Small signs acted on, not dismissed.
Alarm raised
Using the method your evacuation plan sets out.
Fire service called
And met on arrival with what they need to know.
Running the evacuation.
If the building has to be cleared, officers run the evacuation plan: sweeping floors, guiding residents out, managing the assembly point and handing over to the fire service.
Floor sweeps
Each floor cleared and checked.
Assembly point
Residents gathered and counted.
Handover
A clear picture for the fire service when they arrive.
Knowing who needs help.
Most blocks have residents who cannot get out quickly on their own. Officers know who they are before the night it matters, and help them first.
Residents needing help
Known before the first shift.
Personal evacuation plans
Followed where they exist.
Welfare checks
A knock on the door when it is agreed.
The small things that fail.
Wedged fire doors, bikes in a corridor, a missing extinguisher. Officers check for the faults that quietly undermine a fire strategy and report them so they get fixed. On building sites, the same team can provide fire watch after hot works.
Fire doors
Closed, undamaged and not propped open.
Escape routes
Corridors and stairs kept clear.
Equipment and signs
Extinguishers and signs present and in date.
A log that proves the watch.
For a managing agent or freeholder, the log is the evidence that the watch was kept as required. Every patrol, check and defect is written up and available to you and the fire service.
Patrol logs
Every round with its times.
Defect reports
What was found and where.
Shared on request
Records ready for management and the fire service.
Built for a building that cannot rely on its alarm.
Gaps between patrols, escape routes slowly filling up, residents who need help and no proof the watch was kept.
Gaps between patrols
Officers keep moving all shift, and every round is timed.
Escape routes slowly blocked
Corridors, stairs and fire doors checked on every patrol.
Residents who need help
Officers know who needs assistance before the first shift.
An alarm that cannot be trusted
A person on every floor gives the early warning instead.
How it works
From a building walk to a kept watch.
- 01
Site survey
We walk the building with you and read the fire risk assessment and evacuation plan.
- 02
Security plan
Number of officers, patrol pattern, hours and contacts, set by what the assessment requires.
- 03
Deployment
Officers inducted on the layout, escape routes and residents needing help, then on watch.
- 04
Reporting
Patrol logs and defect reports after every shift, available to you and the fire service.
Watch or wait
A waking watch, or a guard at a desk.
A guard at a desk sees the lobby. A waking watch sees every floor, all night.
Coverage
Every floor
Officers patrol the whole building, not one entrance.
Early warning
Continuous
Fire spotted in its first minutes, between alarm points.
Evacuation
Run to plan
Officers know the plan and the residents who need help.
Defects
Reported
Wedged doors and blocked routes found and passed on.
Records
Every round
A timed log that shows the watch was kept.
The rules
Your assessment
A waking watch is set by the building's fire risk assessment under fire safety law. We work to what it requires.
Rules we work toWords from a client go here once one agrees to be quoted. Until then, the shift logs speak for the work.
FAQ
Questions people ask about waking watch.
When is a waking watch needed?
When the building's fire risk assessment says the usual fire strategy cannot be relied on, for example during cladding work, with a faulty alarm or when stay-put has been suspended.
How many officers will we need?
It depends on the height, layout and number of residents, and on what the fire risk assessment sets out. We walk the building before suggesting a number.
Do they patrol all night?
Yes. A waking watch patrols continuously for the whole shift. Each round is timed and logged.
What happens if they find a fire?
They raise the alarm, call the fire and rescue service, start the evacuation and help residents who need it, then hand over to the crews on arrival.
Can you cover the gap until a temporary alarm is fitted?
Yes. Many buildings move from a waking watch to a temporary common alarm. We can cover the building until that is in place.
What records will we have?
Patrol logs with times, defect reports and incident reports, available to you, your managing agent and the fire service.
Get a waking watch in place.
Book a free site assessment. We will walk the building, read your fire risk assessment and come back with a plan and a clear quote.
