If you manage or live in a residential building with fire safety defects, you may have been told you need a waking watch. The term is used a lot, but it is not always clear what it involves, who arranges it or how long it should last.
What a waking watch is
A waking watch is a team of trained people who patrol a building, usually overnight and at other times as required, to look for signs of fire and make sure residents are alerted quickly. It is an interim safety measure. It does not fix the underlying problem, such as defective cladding or compartmentation, but it helps keep people safe while the defects are put right.
Why it is used
Most purpose-built blocks of flats are designed around a stay put approach, where residents who are not affected by a fire stay in their homes. That approach relies on the fire protection in the building working as designed. Where defects mean it cannot be relied on, the person responsible for the building may need to change the evacuation strategy and put extra measures in place until the building is made safe.
What good waking watch cover looks like
- Officers who know the building: its layout, alarm panel, escape routes and assembly points.
- Visible patrols at set intervals, with checks on escape routes, fire doors and common areas.
- A clear process for raising the alarm, alerting residents and calling the fire and rescue service.
- Detailed logbooks of every patrol and incident, held as evidence of cover.
- Calm, professional communication with residents.
Who is responsible
In England and Wales the Responsible Person under fire safety law decides what interim measures are needed, normally on the advice of a competent fire risk assessor. Rules differ in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Guidance from fire and rescue services and the National Fire Chiefs Council is updated from time to time, so read the current version and take advice before changing your arrangements.
How Secure FM helps
Secure FM provides dedicated waking watch officers who carry out visible patrols and fire safety checks, follow clear evacuation procedures and keep detailed logbooks. Every officer is screened to BS 7858, and our 24/7 control room is on hand if an officer needs support. To discuss a building, call 0330 088 0991 or email info@securefm.ltd.