WAKING WATCH & FIRE MARSHALS
Waking Watch Services
Trained officers patrolling your building around the clock to detect fire, raise the alarm and help people out safely, for as long as an interim measure is needed and not a day longer.
WHAT IT IS
What a waking watch is and when a building needs one
A waking watch is a team of trained officers who patrol a building continuously, inside and out, so that a fire is spotted early, the alarm is raised and residents or occupants are helped to evacuate. It is used where a fire risk assessment finds that a building's own protection cannot be relied on: most often where the evacuation strategy has had to change from 'stay put' to simultaneous evacuation because of combustible cladding, failed compartmentation or a fire alarm system that is missing or out of action.
The National Fire Chiefs Council's guidance is clear that a waking watch is a temporary measure, to be kept under review and replaced with a common fire alarm system or remediation as quickly as possible. We agree with that. Our job is to provide a reliable, well-run watch for as long as it is needed, and to help you plan the step down from it.
Pride K9 provides waking watch officers to residential blocks, student accommodation, hotels and commercial buildings across the UK, run from our head office in Walsall and available 24 hours a day.
HOW IT WORKS
How our waking watch officers work
The watch is built around the building's fire risk assessment and evacuation strategy, not a generic rota. Before the first shift we walk the building with you or your fire risk assessor, agree the patrol route, the frequency of checks on every floor and the external perimeter, and exactly how the alarm will be raised and residents alerted.
Officers then patrol continuously through the shift, checking corridors, stairwells, plant rooms, bin stores and the outside of the building at the agreed intervals, and log every patrol. If they find fire or signs of it, they call the fire and rescue service, raise the alarm using the method agreed for the building and assist the evacuation.
Every officer holds an SIA licence, is vetted, and is briefed on the building's layout, its escape routes and the needs of any residents who may need help to get out.
- Continuous patrols of every floor and the external perimeter
- Patrol intervals and routes agreed with your fire risk assessor
- Alarm raised and 999 called in line with the evacuation strategy
- Residents assisted and accounted for at the assembly point
- Every patrol and incident logged and reported to you
- Shifts arranged so there is never a gap in cover
WHERE WE PROVIDE IT
Buildings that use a waking watch
Residential blocks
Flats and apartment buildings with cladding, compartmentation or alarm issues that have moved to simultaneous evacuation.
Student accommodation
Halls and private student blocks, where a watch has to work around hundreds of young residents and late nights.
Hotels and hostels
Interim cover while a fire alarm system is repaired or replaced, so the building can stay open.
Commercial buildings
Offices, warehouses and mixed-use buildings with a fire alarm fault or works that affect the fire strategy.
Find out moreBuildings under construction
Fire watch cover for timber frame and high-rise builds where hot works or incomplete fire systems raise the risk.
Find out moreVacant buildings
Empty blocks awaiting remediation or demolition, where arson and trespass add to the fire risk.
Find out moreKEEPING COSTS DOWN
A waking watch should be temporary, and we plan it that way
A waking watch is expensive because it never stops, and the cost usually falls on leaseholders or residents. The guidance from the National Fire Chiefs Council is that it should be replaced with a common fire alarm system as soon as one can be installed, and government funding has been made available in England to help buildings make that change. We will not keep a watch running longer than the building needs it.
- Officer numbers set by the risk assessment, reviewed as it changes
- A clear plan to step down to a common fire alarm or remediation
- Transparent weekly costs with no hidden extras
- Monitored CCTV where it can safely reduce officer hours
- Weekly reports for managing agents, residents' groups and insurers
- Cover arranged quickly when a fire risk assessment changes
GETTING STARTED
How we set up a waking watch
Call us with the assessment
Tell us what the fire risk assessment has found, the size of the building and how many floors and residents it has. Cover can often be in place within 24 hours.
Walk the building
We agree the patrol route, intervals, alarm method and assembly points with you and your fire risk assessor, and brief residents on what to expect.
Mobilise
Vetted, SIA-licensed officers start on the agreed date with a written brief, patrol log and escalation plan, and a supervisor checks the first shifts.
Review and step down
We report weekly, adjust officer numbers as the risk changes and help you plan the move to a fire alarm system or remediation so the watch can end.
FAQs
Waking watch FAQs
What does a waking watch officer actually do?
They patrol the building continuously, inside and outside, checking every floor, stairwell and common area at agreed intervals for signs of fire. If they find fire or smoke they call 999, raise the alarm in the way agreed for the building and help residents get out and reach the assembly point. Every patrol is logged so you have a record of the cover.
How many officers does a waking watch need?
Enough to patrol every part of the building within the interval the fire risk assessment calls for. A small block may need one officer per shift; a large or tall building, or one with several cores, may need several. We set the number from the assessment and review it as the building changes.
How much does a waking watch cost?
The cost is driven by the number of officers and the hours covered, and a watch runs 24 hours a day, so it adds up quickly. We quote a clear weekly figure, review it regularly and help you plan the step down to a common fire alarm system, which is normally far cheaper over more than a few weeks. Call 0344 800 7066 for a quote for your building.
Is a waking watch a legal requirement?
There is no law that says a building must have a waking watch. It is a measure a fire risk assessor or the fire and rescue service may require as an interim step when a building's fire protection cannot be relied on and the evacuation strategy has changed. Your fire risk assessment is the document that decides whether one is needed and for how long.
How quickly can you start?
Often within 24 hours of the call, depending on the size of the building and where it is. If a fire risk assessment has just changed your evacuation strategy, phone us straight away on 0344 800 7066 and we will tell you what we can put in place and when.
Can we replace the waking watch with a fire alarm?
In most buildings, yes, and the National Fire Chiefs Council recommends it. A common fire alarm system can usually be installed in a matter of weeks and costs less than a waking watch over the same period. We will help you plan the changeover and keep officers on site until the system is commissioned.
Request a quote
Get a quote for waking watch
Tell us about the site, the problem you are facing and the hours you need covered, and we will come back to you with a price and a plan. No obligation.
Prefer to talk? Call 0344 800 7066 any time — we answer 24 hours a day.
Call our experts today
Talk to a security specialist about your site, any time of day or night.
0344 800 7066Request a quote