Fire Watch

Fire Watch Security in Los Angeles County

Licensed guards who patrol your property on a set route and log every round when fire alarm or sprinkler systems are out of service, during hot work, on construction sites, or after a fire.

Request Consultation Call (442) 288-6642 Text us

LDG team reviewing a property during a security assessment

When the fire system is down, someone has to watch

Fire alarms and sprinklers do their work quietly until the day they are shut off for repairs, fail an inspection, or are not installed yet. Hot work such as welding and cutting, and a building damaged by fire, raise the risk at the same time. In those moments the fire marshal or local fire department may require a fire watch, and insurers often ask for one too.

LDG provides fire watch guards across Los Angeles County. Our licensed guards patrol the property on a set route, look for smoke, heat and hazards, keep a written log of every round, and call 911 and alert occupants if they find a fire.

Fire Watch

What a fire watch covers

Every assignment is planned around your property, the reason for the fire watch and the hours you need covered.

Patrol rounds on a set route through the property

A written fire watch log for every round

Checks for smoke, heat, odors and blocked exits

Hot work coverage, including the cool-down period

Fire watch on construction sites before systems are live

Coverage of fire-damaged buildings awaiting repair

Who we work with

Property managersBuilding ownersGeneral contractorsFacilities teamsHomeowners rebuilding

When a fire watch is needed

Impaired alarm or sprinkler systems. A panel failure, a sprinkler shutdown for repairs, or an upgrade that takes the old system offline before the new one is accepted.
Hot work. Welding, cutting, grinding or torch-applied roofing, where sparks can start a fire that shows up after the crew leaves.
Construction. Buildings and homes that are framed or partly finished before permanent fire protection is in service.
After a fire. A damaged building that is empty while it waits for repairs.

How a fire watch works

Before the first shift we walk the property with you and set the route: every floor, stairwell, mechanical and electrical room, and the places where trash or materials collect. We note the alarm panel, the extinguishers, the exits and who the guard calls. On each round the guard checks for smoke, heat, odors, blocked exits and new hazards, writes the round in the log, and reports any hazard to your contact the same shift.

How often rounds happen is set by the fire department, your insurer or, when neither specifies, by agreement with you before the first shift. Large buildings can get more than one guard so each round is completed in a reasonable time.

How long it lasts

A fire watch usually runs until the system is repaired and back in service, the hot work and its cool-down are done, or the building is secured. That can be one shift or several weeks. Shift length is set to your needs, and when the fire watch ends, coverage can stop or move to unarmed security, mobile patrol or construction site security.

Pricing

Pricing depends on the hours, the number of guards and how long the fire watch runs; longer agreements get lower rates, and requests made with less than 7 days’ notice carry an upcharge. Published guard ranges are on our rates page. Request a consultation, or call or text (442) 288-6642.

California requires every security guard to hold a guard card from the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services, and LDG works under PPO License #122869.

FAQ

Fire Watch questions

What is a fire watch?

A fire watch is a trained guard, or a team of guards, who patrols a property on a set route to look for fire and fire hazards when the building’s normal protection is not working or the risk is higher than usual, then logs each round and raises the alarm if needed.

When is a fire watch required?

Common reasons are a fire alarm or sprinkler system that is impaired or shut down for work, hot work such as welding or cutting, construction before permanent systems are in service, and a building damaged by fire. The fire marshal or local fire department may require a fire watch while systems are impaired, and insurers often ask for one too. They set the conditions; we staff the post to match.

What does the guard record?

Each round is written in a fire watch log: the time, the areas checked and anything found, such as smoke, heat, odors, blocked exits or stored combustibles. The log stays on site for the fire department, your insurer or your team to review.

Do fire watch guards put out fires?

No. A fire watch guard watches, reports and alerts. If there is a fire, the guard calls 911, alerts the people on the property and meets the fire department.

How is fire watch priced?

By the hours, the number of guards and how long the fire watch runs. Longer agreements get lower rates, and requests made with less than 7 days’ notice carry an upcharge. Published guard ranges are on our rates page.

Related services