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| | RENTON FIRE DEPARTMENT
FIRE PERVENTION BUREAU
FIRE WATCH INSTRUCTIONS
1.Designated representative(s) of your complex/business shall conduct a constant
patrol of the affected building(s).
2.Should a fire occur, evacuate the building(s) and call 9-1-1 immediately!
3.Once the equipment has been repaired and placed back in service by a certified fire protection company, immediately contact the Renton Fire Department, Fire Prevention Bureau at 425-430-7000, Monday – Friday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM. After 5:00 PM and weekends/holidays, contact Valley Communications Center at 253-852-2121.
4.The Fire Watch shall continue until a representative from the Fire Department returns to the premises to verify corrections have been made and authorization for discontinuance is noted.
5.The Fire Watch form shall be posted on the premises affected until Fire Watch is completed. | | | REDMOND FIRE DEPARTMENT
RFDS 14.00 FIRE WATCH
The following standard contains detailed criteria which shall be used as a reference in conjunction with requirements for a fire watch or standby personnel from the Uniform Fire Code, specific permit conditions, other locations in Redmond Fire Department Standards, or by specific direction of Redmond Fire Department personnel.
14.1; FIRE WATCH FOR COMMERCIAL AND MULTI-FAMILY:
In the event you are directed to provide a fire watch for your building or group of buildings, you shall meet the following requirements:
14.1.1; The fire watch shall be in place at the site by the time directed by the Redmond Fire Department (no later than 24 hours from the initial alarm or trouble signal).
14.1.2; You shall provide one fire watch per 50,000 square feet of gross floor area of commercial, warehouse, office, retail, or industrial building
-OR-
You shall provide one fire watch per 50 units of residential occupancy
-OR-
You shall provide a number of fire watch personnel as directed by the Redmond Fire Department.
14.1.3; A fire watch shall be a responsible adult who is a minimum of 18 years old who is capable of recognizing and responding to a fire emergency in an efficient and appropriate manner.
14.1.4; Each fire watch must be equipped with a portable radio, mobile phone, on site fixed radio, or fixed phone on site with which he/she can notify fire dispatch (911) of a fire emergency or can notify a constantly monitored communications center who in turn can directly and immediately notify 911 of an emergency.
14.1.5; The sole responsibility of the fire watch shall be to systematically and continuously make rounds of the building(s) under his/her responsibility, access all spaces available to him/her and report any fire emergency to 911 or a monitoring communications center.
14.1.6; Rotation and/or substitution of fire watch personnel must be provided for especially during extreme weather circumstances or prolonged duration to ensure constant and alert response to any fire emergency.
14.1.7; The fire watch shall continue until all systems have been restored, deficiencies have been corrected and the system is fully operational. A "Fire Watch" shall maintain a record of their activity or rounds as directed by the Fire Marshal.
14.2; FIRE WATCH FOR BURNING/LAND CLEARING:
A fire watch in conjunction with a burn or land clearing permit or action shall meet the following requirements:
14.2.1; The fire watch shall be at the site at all times from the ignition of the burn until its total extinguishment.
14.2.2; There shall at no time be less than one fire watch and shall always be as many as necessary to control and/or extinguish the fire.
14.2.3; A fire watch shall be a responsible adult who is a minimum of 18 years old who is capable of recognizing and responding to a fire emergency in an efficient and appropriate manner. The fire watch shall be capable of efficiently and effectively operating all fire control equipment at the scene.
14.2.4; Each fire watch must be equipped with a portable radio, mobile phone, on site fixed radio, or fixed phone on site with which he/she can notify fire dispatch (911) of a fire emergency or can notify a constantly monitored communications center who in turn can directly and immediately notify 911 of an emergency. For a burn/land clearing situation only, such communication shall be within 1000' of the designated fire area.
14.2.5; The sole responsibility of the fire watch shall be to systematically and continuously make rounds of the fire area and maintain continuous control of the fire under his/her responsibility, and report any fire emergency to 911 or a monitoring communications center.
14.2.6; Rotation and/or substitution of fire watch personnel must be provided, especially during extreme weather circumstances or prolonged duration to ensure constant and alert response to any fire emergency, and maintain control of the fire.
14.2.7; The "Fire Watch" shall maintain a record of their activity or rounds when, and as directed by the Fire Marshal.
14.3; FIRE WATCH FOR PROBLEMATIC SYSTEMS OR DURING SYSTEM MAINTENANCE OR REMODEL:
A fire watch in conjunction with problematic systems, or fire sprinkler or alarm systems which in part or in their entirety are out of service for maintenance or remodel shall meet the following requirements:
14.3.1; In the event of temporary failure of the fire alarm system or an excessive number of accidental or non-fire alarm activations, the Fire Marshal is authorized to require the building owner or occupant to provide standby personnel as set forth in UFC 2501.18 until the system is restored. Refer to UFC 1001.5.3 and 1001.5.3.1.
14.3.2; While the system is out of service for maintenance or repair, the technicians who have placed the system out of service shall be responsible for the duties of a fire watch as follows:
The first responsibility of the fire watch shall be to notify all affected occupancies of the system work, estimated time out of service, and notification of any tests.
The fire watch shall systematically and regularly make rounds of the building(s) under his/her responsibility, access all spaces available to him/her and report any fire emergency to 911 or a monitoring communications center.
| | | BELLEVUE FIRE DEPARTMENT
FIRE WATCH
This information is provided to clarify the requirements for a fire watch. A fire watch is the action of an on-site person whose sole duty is to watch for the occurrence of fire.
Fire Watch Requirements
If a fire protection system fails, is out of service, demolition/additions to a building occur, there have been an excessive number of preventable activation’s or nuisance alarms, a building owner (or their representative) may be required by the Fire Department to provide a fire watch until the system is repaired. Personnel to conduct the fire watch are determined by the building owner. Note: A professional security company is not required.
A fire watch is also required whenever fire protection systems are in trouble or in a supervisory mode for more than 8 hours. A nuisance alarm is defined as “any alarm caused by mechanical failure, malfunction, improper maintenance, or any alarm activation by a cause that cannot be determined.” (1996 NFPA 72 1-4) Bellevue City Code 23.11.144 –Preventable Response to Fire Alarms – discusses preventable alarms, fees charged and owner responsibilities.
Owner Responsibilities
a) Establish, instruct and maintain fire watch personnel.
b) Notify the monitoring company.
c) Notify the Bellevue Fire Marshal’s Office that the system is not working and when the system has been repaired. (Call 425-452-6030 during normal business hours and 911 during non-working hours)
d) Contact the repair company to fix the fire protection system(s).
e) If a Notice of Violation has been written, contact the Fire Department when the system has been repaired. The phone number will be on the Notice of Violation.
Fire Watch Duties
Personnel serving as a fire watch have the following duties:
a) Conduct periodic patrols of the entire facility as specified.
b) Identify any fire, life or property hazards.
c) Notify the Bellevue Fire Department if a fire is discovered by calling 9-1-1 with the exact address and type of emergency.
d) Notify occupants of the facility of the need to evacuate. If the sirens or public address function of the alarm system are still functional, use them to assist with the evacuation.
e) Determine at least one means of communication with the Fire Department. A telephone is acceptable.
f) Maintain a log of the fire watch activities.
g) Have knowledge of the location and use of fire protection equipment, such as fire extinguishers.
h) Fire Watch Personnel can not have other duties besides their assigned fire watch. However, the Fire Department may designate other duties.
Note: The fire watch will not perform fire-fighting duties beyond the scope of the ordinary citizen.
Frequency of Inspections
Fire watch personnel shall patrol the entire facility every 15 minutes in the following situations:
a) The facility has people sleeping.
b) The facility is an institutional occupancy.
c) The facility is an occupied assembly occupancy.
Facilities that do not meet the requirements for a 15 minute patrol frequency should have a fire watch patrol every 30 minutes. If a facility can not be completely patrolled by a fire watch person in 15 or 30 minutes, extra personnel shall be assigned fire watch duties to assure that the complete facility is patrolled in the required time frame.
Record Keeping
A fire watch log shall be maintained at the facility. The log must be available to the Bellevue Fire Department at all times during the fire watch.
The log shall show the following:
a) Address of the facility
b) Times that the patrol has completed each tour of the facility.
c) Name of the person conduction the fire watch.
d) Record of the communication(s) to the Fire Department and monitoring company.
e) Record of other information as directed by the Fire Department personnel.
Sample Fire Log
12345 Main Street
Time Watch Person Notes.
1200 Jim Dough Started Watch
1215 Jim Dough
1230 John Smith Maintenance arrived
Cancellation of Fire Watch
It is the owners’ responsibility to cancel the fire watch once the fire protection system has been fully restored. Once the fire watch has been cancelled, the owner or representative must notify the monitoring company and the Bellevue Fire Marshal’s Office.
For Additional information about fire protections systems or fire watch contact the Bellevue Fire Department at 425-452-6030.
References
The Uniform Fire Code 103.4.5 - Unsafe Building
The Uniform Fire Code 1001.5.3.1 - Problematic Systems
The Uniform Fire Code 8706.6 – Fire Safety During Construction, Alteration or Demolition of a Building.
Bellevue City Code 23.11.144 – Preventable Response to Fire Alarms
| | | WOODINVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT
15.33.110 Section 1001.5.3.1 amended - Problematic systems.
Section 1001.5.3.1 of the 1997 Edition of the Uniform Fire Code, as adopted by this chapter, is hereby amended to read as follows:
1001.5.3.1. Problematic systems and systems out of service. In the event of temporary failure of a fire protection system or an excessive number of false alarm activation's, the Fire Chief is authorized to require the building owner or occupant to provide standby personnel as set forth in UFC Article 25, Section 2501.18 until the system is restored. The chief is authorized to charge for recovery of costs to the Fire District based on the current Washington State Association of Fire Chiefs' Fee Schedule. Woodinville Fire and Life Safety District Manual of Operation, Article 800, Section 15 "Documentation of False Fire Alarms" shall apply. Standby personnel shall be provided with at least one approved means for notification of the fire department and their only duty shall be to perform constant patrols of the protected premises and keep watch for fires.
(Ord. 314 § 8, 2002) | | | SEATTLE FIRE DEPARTMENT
SCOPE
This Administrative Rule specifies requirements for fire department notification and fire watch when building fire alarm systems, standpipes, fire sprinkler systems, and/or hazardous material emergency alarms are out-of-service for reasons other than scheduled maintenance and testing. This rule also specifies requirements for fire department notification and fire watch when scheduled maintenance or testing places any of the fire protection systems listed above out-of service for more than 24 hours.
GENERAL
In the interest of life safety, immediate notification to the fire department is required for out-of-service fire alarms, standpipes, fire sprinkler systems, and hazardous materials emergency alarms.
Exception: Systems listed above out-of-service for less than 24 hours for scheduled
maintenance or testing. For specified occupancy groups, a fire watch is also required when the affected building is occupied.
DEFINITIONS
For the purpose of this rule, Fire Watch and Emergency Alarm are defined as follows:
Fire Watch: a temporary measure for the purpose of detecting early signs of
unwanted fire or hazardous material emergency, raising an alarm and notifying the fire
department.
Emergency Alarm: an alarm required by the building or fire code to alert occupants of an emergency situation involving hazardous materials.
REQUIREMENTS
Responsibilities of Building Owner or Occupant
For all occupancy groups, the building owner, owner’s designee, or occupant shall:
1. Notify the Fire Department immediately at the designated telephone 24-hour reporting
line of the following occurrences resulting from other than scheduled maintenance or
testing:
? Out-of-service fire alarm. SFC 1001.5.3.1
? Out-of-service standpipe. SFC 1001.5.3.1
? Out-of-service fire sprinkler system. SFC 1001.5.3.1
? Building fire protection system in which a supervisory or trouble signal has been
transmitted for a period exceeding eight hours. SFC Standard 10-2
? Out-of-service emergency alarm. SFC 1001.5.3.1
Note: For scheduled testing and maintenance placing any of the above systems out-of-service exceeding 24 continuous hours, notification to the Fire Department is immediately required to the designated telephone 24-hour reporting line.
2. According to building occupancy type, take measures to ensure a fire watch is being
conducted in accordance with this rule.
3. Provide notification to building occupants of any out-of-service fire alarm, fire sprinkler or emergency alarm system, and notification when restored to service.
4. Notify the Fire Department at the designated 24-hour reporting number when the out-of-service system is restored in full.
The telephone number for the designated 24-hour Seattle Fire Department reporting
line is 206-233-7219.
Information to be provided to the Fire Department on the reporting line includes the following:
1. Name and phone number of person reporting the information.
2. The nature of the problem or out-of-service system being reported and the estimated time before it will be back in full service.
3. The name and address of the building affected.
4. The name of the building owner, or occupant and their phone number, if known.
FIRE WATCH REQUIREMENTS BY OCCUPANCY TYPE
Group/Division Description
A-1, 2, 2.1, 3, 4 Assemblies
R-1 Hotels, apartments and congregate residences.
I- 1.1, 1.2, 2, 3 Nursing homes, hospitals, health care facilities providing care which render patients incapable of self-preservation without assistance, jails.
E-1, 2, 3 Schools through the 12th grade, day care centers, preschools, and day
treatment centers.
For out-of-service fire alarm, standpipe, fire sprinkler system or emergency alarm in the above Occupancy Groups when occupied, Fire Watch shall be required as follows:
1. A designated fire watch shall continuously patrol all areas of the building where the fire
protection system is out-of-service at a frequency not to exceed 15 minutes.
Point of Information: For residential occupancies, fire watch patrol is limited to the
building common areas and building facilities such as laundry, maintenance, and storage
areas. Fire watch patrol is not expected to enter private apartment or hotel units.
2. Persons performing fire watch shall be provided with an immediately accessible means of providing notification to the Fire Department (e.g. cellular telephone, land-line telephone, two-way radio to continuously staffed position).
3. A fire watch log shall be maintained at the occupancy and must be available for viewing by the Seattle Fire Department at all times during the fire watch. The log shall contain the following:
? Address of the facility under fire watch
? Description of fire watch duties (e.g. patrol route, frequency of patrol, location of
telephone or cellular phone to notify Fire Department)
? Running log of person conducting patrol, including name, starting and ending time of
patrol shift, and signature
? Record of any communication to the Fire Department and/or fire protection system
monitoring company. See page 4 for sample log.
4. In a mixed-use occupancy, if any portion of the affected building contains an occupancy group listed above which is occupied, fire watch requirements shall apply.
Example: A four story residential occupancy is located above a retail store (M occupancy). In the process of conducting tenant improvement to the M occupancy, the fire alarm in the retail store is placed out-of-service. If a fire occurred in the M occupancy, residents in the above R occupancy would not receive notification of the fire. Therefore, a fire watch is required. If you have questions regarding fire watch in a mixed-use occupancy, contact the Seattle Fire Department Confidence Testing Unit at 206-386-1351.
Note: Persons performing as a designated fire watch in occupied R-1, A-1, A-2, A-2.1, A-3, A-4, I-1.1, I-1.2, I-2, I-3, E-1, E-2, and E-3 Group Occupancies may not perform other duties while serving as a fire watch.
FIRE WATCH REQUIREMENTS IN SPECIFIED B, M, H, F AND S OCCUPANCY GROUPS
Group/Division Description
B Eating and drinking establishments with occupant load of <50.
Offices.
M Stores accessible to the public
H-1, H-2, H-3, H-6, H-7 Occupancies containing hazardous materials
F-1 Moderate Hazard factory and industrial occupancies.
S-3 Parking garages not classified as S-4, Repair garages excluded.
For out-of-service fire alarm, standpipe, fire sprinkler or emergency alarm systems in occupied Group B, M, H-1, H-2, H-3, H-6, H-7 and F-1 Occupancy Groups, when occupied, fire watch requirements shall be as follows:
1. During the hours the building is occupied, building occupants performing their regular duties, including construction workers, may act as a fire watch in lieu of a designated fire watch.
2. During the process of remodel or phased -in occupancy, when fire alarm, standpipes, fire sprinkler systems or emergency alarms are out-of-service, a dedicated fire watch must be specified to continually check floors on which there are no occupants. Example: During remodel, if construction workers leave a floor vacant during lunch, a fire watch must be established to patrol the unoccupied floor. (During the period the construction workers are in the construction area, a designated fire watch is not required.) Point of Information Fire watch shall be provided in accordance with Seattle Fire Code 4901.4 for hot-work activities and shall continue for a minimum of 30 minutes after the conclusion of the work. The chief is authorized to extend the fire watch based on the hazards or work being performed.
3. Persons serving as a dedicated fire watch shall be provided with an immediately accessible means of providing notification to the Fire Department (e.g. cellular telephone, land-line telephone, two-way radio to continuously staffed position).
4. When a dedicated fire watch is required, a fire watch log shall be maintained at the
occupancy and must be available for viewing by the Seattle Fire Department at all times
during the fire watch. The log shall contain the following:
? Address of the facility under fire watch.
? Description of fire watch duties (e.g. patrol route, frequency of patrol, location of
telephone or cellular phone to notify Fire Department)
? Running log of person conducting patrol, including name, starting and ending time of
patrol shift, and signature
? Record of any communication to the Fire Department and/or fire protection system
monitoring company.
FIRE LOG – EXAMPLE
Crestwell Arms Apartment Building
12345 Main Street, Seattle WA
Fire Alarm – Out of Service – Fire Department notified 4-23-02 via direct reporting line.
Fire Watch Patrol Route: Begin in basement, laundry, storage and recreation area. Move to Lobby and through hallways, floors one through four. Repeat at intervals not to exceed 15 minutes. Use cell phone provided for Fire Department notification.
Tuesday, April 23, 2002
Date
Name
Firewatch Shift Start
Firewatch Shift End
Comments
Signature
4-23-02 Jane Doe 11:42 pm 2:00 am
4-24-02 Jack Smith 2:00 am 6:00 am
4-24-02 Ted Hall 6:00 am 10:00 am |
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