Fire Watch Requirements

FIRE WATCH REQUIREMENTS


You have been ordered by this office to maintain a fire watch until such time as certain conditions have been corrected. For the fire watch to be acceptable, all of the following guidelines shall be followed:

  1. Management shall notify the local Fire Chief of the conditions that require the implementation of the fire watch.
  2. Fire watch shall be performed by the fire watch officers; these officers shall be assigned no other duties than fire watch.
  3. Management shall establish a chain of command among staff assigned to fire watch duties, additionally there shall be a clear line of succession in the event of absences.
  4. Management shall ensure that fire watch officers are familiar with the procedures to follow in the recognition and reporting of an emergency, including:
    • When and how to use radio equipment, telephone and private or public boxes to summon aid.
    • How to notify the local fire department and other emergency response organizations.
    • The management personnel to be contacted if any emergency occurs.
  5. Fire watch officers shall maintain a log book.  This log shall clearly show all activities of the fire watch including locations patrolled and conditions found.  This log shall be available for review at all times.
  6. Management shall ensure that all areas of the premise, interior and exterior, will be patrolled by patrol routes.  The route(s) shall be explicitly defined to ensure that the fire watch officer patrols the correct area.
  7. Patrols shall be performed as often as necessary, however all areas of the facility shall be patrolled at a minimum of once per hour.
  8. Management shall establish training for the fire watch officers to ensure they are familiar with the property being protected, including:
    • All buildings, occupancies and hazards.
    • Fixed fire protection systems.
    • Manual and automatic detection and alarm systems
    • Portable fire protection equipment
    • Emergency shutdown procedures and equipment for which they are responsible.
    • The facility emergency action plan.
  9. The fire watch officer(s) shall be provided with a portable fire extinguisher as part of his/her normal equipment.
  10. Fire watch officers shall be provided with a means for continuous communication with a constantly attended location.  Management shall ensure that said communications equipment will function in all areas of the facility.
  11. Fire watch log shall be faxed daily to the Nassau County Fire Marshal’s Office (516) 573-9072.