Fire Watch

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mstrlucky74

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Anyone familiar with this in NYC? I know it's when the fire alarm system is down and you have men/man standing by in case of a fire. I thought there was another alternative to this.
 
mstrlucky74 said:
Anyone familiar with this in NYC? I know it's when the fire alarm system is down and you have men/man standing by in case of a fire. I thought there was another alternative to this.
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Not really. It's also ugly expensive, especially if the FD insists that the fire watch be conducted only by "trained personnel" and wouldn't you know it, they've got the only "trained personnel". For a properly executed fire watch, you must have an individual on each protected floor who's ONLY responsibility is to look for a potential fire. So no, the night janitor in your 5-story building can't be your fire watch. This is why you want to avoid getting into this situation by almost any means possible. In installation proposals I always included language excluding the cost/responsibility for fire watches if they became necessary.
 
sometimes you can hire security guard companies to provide the trained personnel for this. the training is not real rigorous or anything.

but as someone mentioned it can be horrendously expensive.
 
mstrlucky74 said:
Anyone familiar with this in NYC? I know it's when the fire alarm system is down and you have men/man standing by in case of a fire. I thought there was another alternative to this.
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It all depends on what is being done. This could also apply if you were doing cutting of steel or welding within an occupied building. I know that you have been posting a lot of questions geared towards building. in this case you may be required to get a hot work permit along with a fire watch that may include just a single fireman or maybe even an engine company.
 
69gp said:
It all depends on what is being done. This could also apply if you were doing cutting of steel or welding within an occupied building. I know that you have been posting a lot of questions geared towards building. in this case you may be required to get a hot work permit along with a fire watch that may include just a single fireman or maybe even an engine company.
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What you say is true, but the OP's question was specifically aimed at the impairment of the fire alarm system which requires a whole different scope of fire watch.

One thing I forgot to mention is that if the impairment is less than 4 hours and 50,000 ft2 the fire watch requirements are less stringent, but once you top 4 hours they get a lot tougher.
 
A building I am involved with in RI is on fire watch. The city is requiring it despite there being no power to the building and no occupants. At least there are no specific requirements for who does the watch. This is a corrupt punitive action against the owner of the building. Latest was they were questioning the load calcs done by the engineer, talking all sort of "what if's" with future loads, requiring odd documents from the serving utility, and proof that the Engineer is an EE.
 
I looking at 5 floor with each floor taking approx 3 days to complete. So I assume we need around th clock fire watch. I can't see the system being put back online after each shift as it's a complete floor demo.
 
This is fairly normal in NYC. Protect the devices and tie them up. Go offline during the day,most central stations will allow 8hrs at a time. Most of the time the old devices are left until the new system is operational.
 
We had a 25 story hotel with no fire alarm or fire sprinklers (don't remember which; it was 25 years ago) and we required one firefighter on site 24/7.

We also had schools with no functional fire alarm and they were allowed to use Wackenhut (sp?) employees on each property as a fire watch.

It boils down to whatever the fire marshal/ chief will permit for the particular building/ site.
 
mstrlucky74 said:
I looking at 5 floor with each floor taking approx 3 days to complete. So I assume we need around th clock fire watch. I can't see the system being put back online after each shift as it's a complete floor demo.
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There are usually ways around this. It would obviously depend on what the goal of the fire watch is and whether the AHJ is just concerned with fire protection or is trying to be punitive or difficult.

For example, if there is a sprinkler system then full coverage smoke detection can be "ignored" as the building has fire detection in place. If the building isn't occupied at night then Notification may not be needed. If it is needed, then with a little planning you can make sure the new is done and activated daily. It is rare that I have seen a situation where the fire alarm system can't be activated at the end of a shift.
 
Strathead said:
There are usually ways around this. It would obviously depend on what the goal of the fire watch is and whether the AHJ is just concerned with fire protection or is trying to be punitive or difficult.

For example, if there is a sprinkler system then full coverage smoke detection can be "ignored" as the building has fire detection in place. If the building isn't occupied at night then Notification may not be needed. If it is needed, then with a little planning you can make sure the new is done and activated daily. It is rare that I have seen a situation where the fire alarm system can't be activated at the end of a shift.
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In larger buildings and upgrades/renovations, the drawings and specs usually call for maintaining the existing level of fire protection throughout the project duration.
 
gadfly56 said:
In larger buildings and upgrades/renovations, the drawings and specs usually call for maintaining the existing level of fire protection throughout the project duration.
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I meant the entire system which should be evident to you in the body of what I wrote. Throughout the work day the system is generally taken "off line" in regards to calling out to the Central Station, but still operational. I wasn't intending to do a 10 page dissertation.
 
Strathead said:
I meant the entire system which should be evident to you in the body of what I wrote. Throughout the work day the system is generally taken "off line" in regards to calling out to the Central Station, but still operational. I wasn't intending to do a 10 page dissertation.
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Sorry, the comment was intended to convey the requirement to the OP. I've been around here long enough to know you know your stuff.
 
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