Fire Watch

Contents

1 Fire Watch

Fire Watch during Sprinkler Freeze: Winter Protocol

Water turns to ice, ice cracks heads, and suddenly your wet system is a dry skeleton. When the weather app hits 28 F you have 4 hours to post fire watch or the city treats the building as unprotected. Use this winter protocol to keep water flowing or keep fines away.

Why Freeze Equals Immediate Impairment

NFPA 25 states any section that cannot maintain 40 F is officially impaired. That means the same 4 hour rule as a broken pipe, even if nothing looks broken yet. Waiting for the thaw is not an option.

Also, insurers hate freeze claims. One denied $1.2 million loss in Kansas because the owner “should have known” the forecast. Digital logs showing continuous watch saved partial coverage.

Heat Trace or Watch: Pick One

If you cannot get heat tape or temporary heaters online before dusk, you must post a guard. We bring infrared thermometers and scan every riser every 15 minutes. Reading drops below 35 F and we radio the engineer immediately so he can open a drain valve before the head splits.

Roof Access in Ice

Stair towers ice over first. Our guards wear micro spike boots so they can reach the mechanical penthouse without slipping into a 12 story fall. Safety harnesses are clipped to fixed ladders and logged as part of the round.

Temporary Heater Rules

Propane heaters must sit 6 feet from any combustible and 25 feet from sprinkler heads. The guard logs tank levels every hour so the tank swap does not create a gap. Electric units need dedicated 20 amp circuits; if breakers trip he resets once, then calls maintenance.

Real Save From Last January

A St. Louis warehouse hit 19 F at 2 a.m. Our guard scanned a dry riser at 33 F and dropping. He opened the drum drip, drained 3 gallons of slush, and reclosed the valve. System pressure held, no heads burst, and the owner paid $720 for the shift instead of $180 k in pipe replacement.