Guides · Fire safety · 5 min read
Fire watch: when is it mandatory – and what does a fire alarm system failure cost?
When a fire watch is required: events, fire alarm system failure, hot work. With a checklist for operators in Berlin.
A fire watch monitors where there is an increased fire risk or where technical fire protection is temporarily absent. It detects fires early, extinguishes incipient fires, keeps escape routes clear and alerts the fire brigade. Three situations come up most often in practice.
1. Events with licence conditions
For stages, scenic areas, pyrotechnics, open fire or high visitor numbers, the licensing authority can require a fire watch. The number of staff is stated in the licence condition. Important: the organiser must ensure that security, fire watch and event medical services work together – this is easiest when both are run under one operations control.
2. Fire alarm system (BMA) failure
If the fire alarm system fails in a building where people are present – through a fault, conversion work or maintenance – a staffed compensatory measure is often necessary. The fire watch walks patrol rounds and thereby replaces automatic fire detection until the system is working again. Every hour counts here: without a compensatory measure, evacuation can be a risk in the worst case.
3. Hot work
For welding, cutting, soldering and grinding work in areas at risk of fire, the permit usually requires a fire watch during the work and a follow-up check afterwards – often lasting several hours.
Checklist for operators
- Licence condition or permit available? Note the number of staff and times.
- Identify areas of particular risk (stage, storage, technical areas).
- Have fire extinguishers, wall hydrants and escape routes checked.
- Determine the contact person on site and the alarm route.
- Agree on documentation of the patrols.
Why Pandemedics?
Our fire watch staff are predominantly trained firefighters. At events, we provide event medical services and fire watch together – one contact person, one operations plan, one invoice. If your fire alarm system fails, call us directly.
Who orders the fire watch
- At events: the licensing authority or the fire brigade, usually as a condition of the licence. The assembly venue regulations provide for it mainly for large stages and scenic areas, and for fire and pyrotechnics; in Berlin this is governed by the Betriebs-Verordnung (operating regulation).
- In buildings: the operator themselves, when fire protection systems fail – often at the request of the building control authority, fire brigade or insurer.
- For hot work: the client, via the permit for work involving fire hazards.
What a fire watch must be able to do
The task sounds simple but requires experience: recognising hazards before a fire starts, extinguishing correctly in an emergency, and briefing the fire brigade so that no time is lost. Look out for these points:
- Firefighter training or comparable qualification
- Knowledge of the extinguishing equipment on site: fire extinguishers, wall hydrants, extinguishing systems
- Familiarity with the site after a briefing – escape routes, fire compartments, assembly points
- Radio or telephone with a direct line to the event management or the operator
- Written documentation of the patrols
What a fire watch is not
It is not security and not a caretaker service. Anyone who checks tickets or operates equipment on the side cannot watch for fire hazards at the same time. During their duty, the watch has only this one task.
Cost and duration
A fire watch at Pandemedics costs from €27.50 per hour net per person; the minimum duration is four hours. How many staff are needed is stated in the licence condition. If the fire alarm system fails, the duration depends on when the system is working again – often a few days, or weeks in shift operation for conversions. All guide prices are on the pricing page.
More on the individual cases
- Fire alarm system failed: what operators must do now
- Fire watch during hot work
- Fire extinguisher hire for events
Frequently asked questions
Who pays for the fire watch?
The organiser or the building operator. They are responsible for fire safety and commission the watch.
Doesn't the fire brigade provide the fire watch?
In some cases it does so itself. Often, however, the task may be transferred to suitable staff – what applies is stated in the licence condition.
How quickly can I get a fire watch?
Call us. For outages we can often provide the watch on the same day; we will tell you definitively on the phone.
Matching service: Fire watch from Pandemedics – quote within 2 hours on working days.
Keep reading
Fire alarm system failed: what operators must do now
If the fire alarm system fails, the building usually needs an interim measure. The steps for operators – and when a fire watch is necessary.
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Fire watch during hot work: making welding, grinding and soldering safe
For welding, cutting and soldering work, the work permit usually requires a fire watch with a follow-up check. Duties, duration and typical mistakes.
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Read more →Your event deserves cover you can rely on.
Tell us briefly what you are planning – on working days you will have a binding quote within 2 hours.