There are many things that can cause a fire outbreak from hurricanes, natural disasters, faulty appliances, misuse of appliances and faulty wiring. Unfortunately, a common cause of a fire is also carelessness as well as arson (setting fire on purpose). Our fire watch guards work to identify potential threats and eliminate them.

The Fire Watch Guards at XPressGuards Will:

• Monitor your building and/or facility
• Patrol the premises on a regular basis (every 15-minutes or on the hour)
• Look for fire hazards on the site that could potentially increase the risk of fire outbreaks
• Check whether your anti-fire equipment is in order including your fire alarm and sprinklers
• Keep logs/records of relevant information during each round of patrol
• Cooperate with municipal fire departments
• Contact the fire department in case of a fire outbreak

Our fire watch guards minimize the danger of a fire by identifying all the potential fire threats and address them before it is too late. We act according to clear instructions we receive in order to ensure everyone’s safety. We do not extinguish a fire by ourselves if it’s not 100% safe. Our orders may differ from one location to the other, but safety is always placed above anything else. Contact us for more information.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) may require you to use fire watch guards if your fire alarm and/or sprinklers are not functioning properly. To be more specific, you are obligated to have a fire watch guard if your fire alarm system remains unfixed for 10 hours or longer in a 24-hour period. In such instances, you must report this to the fire department. That means that any building/facility that has a fire alarm or sprinklers is obliged to fix the irregularities as soon as possible.

Compromised Fire Alarm

If your fire alarm system is compromised, a fire watch guard is mandatory. Your fire alarm or sprinklers may become incapacitated due to many reasons (mechanical or electrical). In such instances, the law requires you to have on-site fire watch guard in order to minimize liability, avoid fines, and ensure everyone’s protection from a possible fire outbreak.

Fire Watch Patrol

During a fire watch, all the areas in question are patrolled and monitored for any abnormalities. If the fire watch guards identify any fire hazards, they must immediately contact the fire department. Additionally, every activity is documented in the fire watch guard’s log.

The fire watch must not be interrupted until the system is back up. Once the issues are fixed and the fire system is working properly, the fire inspectors will inspect the premises to check whether everything is functional. Once they determine that everything is working perfectly, the fire watch is no longer needed. Keep in mind that the fire watch requirements may vary from one state to the other. You should contact us for more information on what the requirements are in your area.

Construction sites are sensitive, high-risk areas that are very susceptible to fire outbreaks. It’s therefore unwise to leave a construction site unattended. According to the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA), property owners are required to implement a fire watch if anti-fire systems (fire alarm, fire sprinklers) are impaired/not working properly.

Fire watch guards at a construction site can be required in cases of construction of demolishing of buildings or during nonworking hours. “Hot work”, typically associated with welding and grinding, is any work that creates flame and thus poses a fire risk. This is often the cause of industrial fires which can cause tremendous damage.

Fire Watch For Hot Work

A fire watch guard is mandatory during any hot work operation and at least 30 minutes upon its completion. This requirement aims to ensure any risk of a potential fire is reduced, especially if there are flammable materials in the vicinity of the site. However, a fire watch can be extended if the manager identifies potential hazards.

Fire watch at construction sites must include the entire area in which hot work is executed. Fire watch guards must be fully equipped and have fire extinguishers on hand. Both fire watch guards and employees performing hot work must be trained to use fire extinguishers. Contact us for more information.

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is a global organization devoted to eliminating death, injury, property, and economic loss due to fire. The organization was established back in 1896 and now consists of over 9,000 volunteers and over 50,000 members across the globe.

Education & Training

The NFPA delivers knowledge, education, training, advocacy, and more. They also partner with everyone who shares their vision and wants to participate in raising awareness of the importance of safety issues and fire hazards. Their mission is to educate the public on safety matters and thus saving lives. They have designed about 300 codes and standards aimed at minimizing fire risks as well as the damage it can cause. These standards include criteria for buildings, installations, services, etc.

The NFPA aims to educate all age groups on fire hazards and has thus developed tools and educational programs. The organization also provides training (both online and on-site) on how to access the codes and standards, holds conferences and seminars, and awards certificates. The primary goal of their educational programs is to instruct the public on how to properly apply the fire safety codes.

Become a Member of The NFPA

Becoming a member of the NFPA is the best way to stay up to date on the fire and electrical safety codes. They frequently perform research and analysis and then develop texts and guides (for firefighters and other interested parties), all for the purposes of raising awareness about fire hazards.

If you want to inform yourself about the codes and standards and you wish to ensure a safe workplace for your employees, you can join the NFPA. Their staff can address every technical question you may have about these standards and how to implement them. If you wish to become a member, you can do so by selecting any of the three offered packages (1 year-$175, 2 years-$315, and 3 years-$445). The NFPA is devoted to providing you with the knowledge and information you need in order to do your job in the best possible way. Contact us for more information.

A fire marshal is responsible for fire training and safety, and they’re usually a member of the fire department. Their duties include fire code enforcement, investigating fires for origin, public education, and analyzing and reporting fire incidents including conducting an investigation about arson. Fire marshals may be sworn law-enforcement officers and are responsible for the implementation of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act.

Yes, The Fire Marshal Can Fine You And Shut You Down

The fire marshal can fine you for violating the minimum safety standards. These standards may vary from state to state as well as the fines, but if you fail to fulfill the minimum safety requirements, you may be fined. Upon investigating your premises, if the fire inspector finds that you haven’t met the safety standards, they may give you a notice that serves as a warning so that you may correct these irregularities in a certain time frame. You won’t be fined this time. If you fail to make the corrections, you will be fined.

Ensuring that you meet the minimum safety standards does not only protect your employees and your property, but keeps you from having to pay a fine. Hiring a fire watch guard will help prevent fines and create a safe workplace for everyone involved. Contact us for more information about our fire watch services.

The cost of fire watch services depends on several factors including whether it’s an emergency or a routine patrol. In emergency situations, fire watch service typically costs significantly more because more staff and resources are required. In such cases, the amount can go as high as $150 per hour. Prices vary from company to company but are generally within the $50-$150 range. However, in critical situations when you need all the help you can get in order to protect your employees’ as well as your premises and your equipment, this is a small price to pay.

Avoid Emergency Situations

The best way to prevent such situations is to take all the precautions and secure the workplace from the start. Make sure your fire alarm and sprinklers are in order and ensure that you meet the safety standards. This is the best way to minimize liability and protect the occupants of the building.

Calling your own fire watch guards is a much better option than having the fire marshal send guards over as this may cost significantly more. In such instances, the cost goes well beyond $200 because the fire marshal needs to send more staff and pay for their overtime. This is why it’s better to hire a private fire watch company as the prices are lower while the quality of the service is the same.

We’re always ready for emergency situations and are equipped to handle things as quickly as possible. Our trained fire watch guards at XPressGuards are prepared at all times to report for duty. The sooner you call us, the less the damage will be. Contact us now.

Yes, you do. In fact, a fire watch checklist completed and ready for emergency situations is vital for your safety and the safety of everyone in your building, construction site or another area. A fire watch checklist includes all the necessary steps that are to be taken in case of an emergency.

No two buildings are the same, therefore, every building has different safety needs. Your checklist should be carefully composed and customized to fit the safety requirements in your premises.

Your Fire Watch Checklist Should Include:

• A complete layout of the facility including all the stairs and emergency exits
• Steps on securing the clearance of all exits
• Keeping the fire log/record (the log should include all the dates and times of each patrol as well as the area patrolled)
• Posting fire watch door notices on exterior doors of apartments, bathrooms, the lobby, halls and elevators
• Informing all occupants immediately upon detecting smoke or fire (using a whistle to alert the occupants or a fire horn)
• Conducting patrol of all the premises in the building including stairways, corridors, hallways, rooms, etc
• Calling the fire department immediately upon detecting smoke or fire using the nearest phone
• Avoiding danger/staying away from smoke or fire

Contact us now for more information.

In order to become a fire watch guards, one needs to undertake serious training on how to prevent a fire. Fireguard certificates are then awarded to those that successfully complete the training to become fire watch guards. Backed by the Occupational Safety and Health Act from 1979, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) organization was created in order to train people to ensure safe working conditions for everyone.

According to the OSHA law, employers are obliged to provide a safe environment for workers free from any hazards as well as to find and correct any safety problems. The OSHA courses train future fire watch guards to take all the necessary measures in order to reduce the risk of fire. The education materials cover all possible health and safety problems in the workplace as well as the best solutions for these problems.

Fire Watch Certification Courses

The extensive certification courses cover all the fire-related topics relevant for a future fire watch guard including safety requirements, safety signs, OSHA protection protocols, fire extinguishing devices, workplace hazards, chemical storage, planning and reporting in cases of emergencies, using emergency response equipment, and much more. All fireguards that receive these certificates have acquired the knowledge necessary for ensuring safety problems are avoided as well as what to do if they occur.

OSHA covers most private-sector employees /as well as some public-sector employees in all 50 states. Certification must be renewed every year. To attend the fire watch guard certification course, one must be at least 18 years old. All our fire watch guards are trained and certified and fully capable of handling any fire watch situation. We are equipped to perform a fire watch at any location and we cooperate with the local fire department. Trust us with your safety knowing that you’re in good, well-trained hands. Contact us now.

This plan of action should include instructions on what to do if your fire system fails from alerting the residents to evacuating the building during a fire outbreak. In the case of detecting smoke or fire, the safety plan must be initiated right away. The building manager must be informed and consequently a fire company if the problem cannot be resolved by the manager.

A Fire Watch Plan Should Cover The Following:

• Inspecting the premises of the entire building
• Informing the fire department and hire fire watch guards if the malfunction continues for more than 4 hours in 24 hours
• The plan should be visible to all the employees/residents
• A staff member trained in the safety procedures including the fire alarm, extinguishers, evacuation, rescue, etc
• Constant fire watch of the affected area is to be performed by professional fire watch guards. Patrol of the affected areas should be performed every 30 minutes or at 15-minute intervals and 24 hours if necessary.
• Keeping a fire log including the date and time of each patrol together with the name of the person performing the fire watch
• Distribution of fire extinguishing equipment to all the residents and/or employees throughout the building.

In case of a fire outbreak, fire watch guards must have access to all the premises of the building. They check all the rooms on a regular basis. Every building owner/manager/employer should have a fire watch procedure template that covers all the important steps to be taken in case of a safety emergency. Protect your employees and your property by being prepared for a fire outbreak. Contact us to get started.

Fire Watch Guards Service