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When selecting a fire watch company, it is not only about the quick arrival of guards. If a building has no fire alarm, sprinkler system, or other protection equipment, the people within the building must know what to do and what is expected of them. Property owners should know the answers to these clear questions before hiring a provider: Licensing, coverage, training, and reporting. Such responses can provide insight into a company’s readiness to take on the task correctly.
Partnering with a fully certified fire watch company is essential to mitigating risk and maintaining full compliance during an unexpected system outage. Vetting a provider on key operational standards upfront ensures that your property receives qualified oversight rather than an unreliable, temporary fix. Asking targeted questions regarding credentials, backup protocols, and emergency escalation policies early in the selection process empowers property owners to make informed decisions and secure continuous, high-quality protection for their facilities.
Are your Businesses Licensed?
Start at the ground level. Inquire if the company has the licensing or registration to offer fire watch services in your area. Requirements may differ depending on location, building type and assignment type.
Request up to date documentation, not just on faith. If the local authorities need to be qualified for fire watch, find out if the fire watch workers who are assigned to you are qualified for that as well.
What Training Do Your Guards Have?
A guard must not only know the route he is assigned to patrol, he must know more. Inquire about training for fire safety, hazard recognition, emergency procedures, evacuation and incident reporting to ask what it is and how it is provided to personnel.
If the property is construction, welding, chemicals or other special hazards, ask if the guards have experience with these. The training they receive should be appropriate to the risks they encounter in the workplace.
How Much Coverage Can You Provide?
Determine the response time for the company to send guards and if they can be on duty for the duration of your requirements. Discuss requests for overtime, weekends, holidays, and emergencies.
If the building is larger, discuss the number of guards recommended and how the guards will patrol various floors, entrances, storage areas, and other vulnerable areas. The aim is to prevent areas which are crucial to be overlooked.
What if a Guard fails to report?
Staffing difficulties may occur. Query the business regarding how they treat sickness, tardiness, unscheduled absences and lengthy assignments. A reliable provider will have a cover option that means that an important change will not be left without one. Question the supervisors of the guards and how notice of staff changes will be provided.
How many times per hour are patrols completed?
Inquire about the company patrol schedule. Determine if guards are on a set route; what areas are covered; and how often each area is covered. The schedule should be based on the size, layout, occupancy and fire risks of the building and should not be one size fits all.
What Reports Will We Get?
Without good reporting, property managers can’t see what occurred during each shift. Inquire if there is a record of the patrol, attendance, incident reports, and shift handover notes. Reports should include the time of patrol, areas patrolled, if hazards were discovered, and what was done.
How fast does an emergency happen to be reported?
Finally, ask what the guard does when he/she finds smoke, flames, or some other serious hazard. Establish who is to be contacted, how emergency services will be notified, and when the property manager will be notified of the situation.
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