Montgomery County Maryland
Fire Watch

MONTGOMERY COUNTY MARYLAND
Fire Watch Staff
Code Compliance Guideline
 

A fire watch is started when a building’s fire alarm system is malfunctioning or is not functioning at all.  When establishing a fire watch, Fire Departments must notify the following personnel:

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• The Fire Department's Fire Marshal office

• Montgomery County Emergency Communications Center (MCECC) at 240-683-6520

• Department of Systemwide Safety and Emergency Management at 240-740-3066

• Interagency Coordinating Board at 240-777-2725 (call only when it is anticipated that a community-use activity will be taking place in the building during the fire watch)

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A Property Manager must assign staff members to the fire watch team.  The number of staff members assigned to the team is based on the size of the building, activities that are taking place in the building, and any specific circumstances regarding the fire alarm system.  The average size property requires three to four staff members, middle size property requires four to six staff members, and large size property requires six to eight staff members.  This number should be increased to facilitate notification if an evacuation is necessary and the public address (Fire Alarm) system is not functioning.  If a sufficient number of staff members is not available for the fire watch team or if you anticipate that the fire alarm system will be out of service for four or more hours, call the Division of Maintenance and Operations at 240-314-1075Fire Marshal’s office so that arrangements can be made to send additional personnel for the fire watch team.

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Each fire watch team member should be assigned a two-way radio for communication purposes.  Also, if a fire watch is established for after-Fire Department/work activities, the property manager should ensure that all fire watch team members have access to a phone in the event that they need to call 911 to report a fire emergency.

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Staff, students, and other building occupants must be informed that a fire watch is in place until further notice (Fire Alarm system).  Members of the fire watch team must continuously walk interior hallways and around the exterior of the relocatable areas. Team members should observe the following guidelines:

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• While walking, fire watch team members must check for smoke and fire.

• If smoke and/or fire are observed, immediately contact the main office via two-way radio so an announcement can be made to evacuate the building immediately.  An administrator/designee must call 911 in the event of an evacuation.

• Team members must call in a report to the main office every 30 minutes and upon completing their walks.  The reports must be recorded on a fire watch log (see link below).

• During a fire watch, members of the fire watch team must be used only for fire watch purposes.  Fire watch team members’ regular duties should be suspended temporarily or assigned to other staff for the duration of the fire watch.

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In the event that community-use activities will take place in the building during a fire watch, the Interagency Coordinating Board for the Community Use of Public Facilities (CUPF) office will be responsible for:

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• Working with the Division of Maintenance and Operations to designate the fire watch team.

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The Montgomery County Fire Marshal may modify the parameters of the fire watch depending on the circumstances.  Also, Montgomery County fire code regulations require that a fire watch log be completed and maintained during a fire watch.  It is recommended that the log be kept in the main office and that the administrator designates an office staff member to maintain the log.  Fire watch team members should call into the Fire Department’s main office via two-way radio to give their reports every 30 minutes, and the reports must be recorded on the log as soon as received, noting the area checked, time checked, and the name of the fire watch team member who is giving the report

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Call us now

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1-800-644-9113

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Operations@FirewatchDMV.com