Skip to content
Commercial corridor with fire sprinklers in San Francisco

Guide

Fire watch, explained.

What a fire watch officer actually does, and how to get one in the building fast.

Request a quoteCall (415) 991-3130

Why buildings need it.

When a fire alarm panel fails or sprinklers get shut off for work, nothing in the building is watching for fire on its own. A fire watch officer covers that until the system is running again.

Whether you need one, and for how long, is decided by the fire department or your fire alarm or sprinkler vendor. Our part is supplying the officer.

What the officer actually does.

Walks every affected floor and area, nonstop. Looks and smells for smoke, checks for heat and hazards, keeps exits and stairwells clear, and pulls the alarm and calls for help if something’s wrong.

That’s all they do. They aren’t covering the lobby desk or signing in visitors, which is why it should be its own post.

The log.

Every round gets written down with the time, the areas covered and anything noticed. The log stays in the building for your engineer, contractor and inspector.

All of our services include timed logs, but on a fire watch the log is your proof the building was being watched.

How long it goes.

Until the system is fixed and cleared. That might be a night, a weekend or a renovation that runs for months. Overnight or 24/7.

Getting started.

Call us as soon as you hear something’s offline. Fire watch tends to come up at the last minute, and we move fast for high-rises, older buildings and residential properties around the city.

A few useful answers

Quick answers.

Can residents stay in the building during fire watch?

Yes. The officer walks the affected floors while the building stays occupied.

Do we keep the log?

Yes. It stays in the building and it’s yours.

Services

Services this guide covers

01 / Fire watch

Fire watch

An officer walking the building nonstop while the fire system is offline.

View details

02 / Short notice

Temporary security guards

Officers for a night, a week or a renovation, no long contract.

View details

Let’s talk about protecting your San Francisco property.

Get a quoteCall (415) 991-3130