Most people hire a fire watch company on short notice. A sprinkler line freezes overnight, a fire alarm panel fails, or a contractor needs to shut a system down for repairs. The building cannot sit unprotected while the work gets done, so someone has to walk it. The questions you ask on that first phone call decide whether the guard who arrives can actually do the job, and whether your records will satisfy the fire department and your insurer afterwards.
This guide is for property managers, condo boards, facility staff and contractors in Hamilton and across Ontario. It covers what the Fire Code says about shutdowns, what to have ready before you call, the questions to ask, and the red flags to watch for.
When a building needs a fire watch in Ontario
Ontario’s Fire Code, O. Reg. 213/07, does not use the words “fire watch”. Instead, it sets out what must happen when life safety systems are shut down:
- Fire alarm and voice communication systems (Article 6.3.1.3), standpipe systems (6.4.1.4) and sprinkler systems (6.5.2.4): if any part is shut down, the fire department, the building occupants and the supervisory staff must be notified.
- Sprinkler valves and water supplies (6.5.2.2) cannot be shut down for more than 24 hours without notifying the Chief Fire Official. The Chief Fire Official must also be told before alterations or repairs that interrupt a sprinkler system (6.5.2.1).
- Your fire safety plan (2.8.2.1) must provide for alternative measures to keep occupants safe during a shutdown of fire protection equipment or systems.
A fire watch is the most common of those alternative measures: a trained person patrols the affected areas, looks for fire and hazards, and raises the alarm by hand if the system cannot. Hot work is the other common trigger. Cutting, welding, grinding and torch roofing are covered by Section 5.17 of the Fire Code, and many insurers and general contractors ask for a watch during and after the work.
The exact patrol interval and area usually come from your fire safety plan, your insurer or the fire official. Get that instruction first, because it is the standard your fire watch company has to meet.
What to have ready before you call
A provider can only quote and dispatch quickly if you can answer these on the first call:
- The address, the entrance the guard should use, and who will meet them.
- Which system is down, and which floors, units or zones it covers.
- How long the shutdown is expected to last, even if it is only a best guess.
- Whether the fire department has been notified, and any instructions it gave.
- Keys, fobs or codes the guard will need to reach every area on the route.
- A contact who can be reached at any hour while the watch runs.
Nine questions to ask a fire watch company
1. How soon can a guard be on site?
Ask for a realistic time for your address, not a slogan. Distance, the hour and road conditions all affect it. Then ask whether the company answers the phone at night and on weekends, because system failures rarely happen during office hours.
2. Is the guard licensed, and can I check?
Anyone hired to guard property in Ontario needs an individual security guard licence, and the company needs an agency licence. Both can be checked on the province’s public registry. Ask for the agency licence number before you agree, and for the guard’s licence number when they are assigned.
3. Will the guard do fire watch and nothing else?
A guard who is also signing in visitors or sorting parcels is not walking the floors. If you need front desk cover as well, book it as a separate post. In addition, ask the company to confirm in writing that the fire watch guard has no other duties.
4. What will each round cover?
Agree on the route before the first shift: every floor or zone that lost protection, stairwells, service rooms and any area where hot work took place. Ask what the guard checks on each round, such as exit doors, blocked corridors, smoke or burning smells, and heat near the work area.
5. What does the fire watch log look like?
The log is your proof that the watch happened. Ask to see a blank one. Each round should show the time, the areas checked, what was found and the guard’s name or signature. Also ask who keeps the log, how you get a copy, and whether it stays on site for a fire inspector to read.
6. What happens if the guard finds smoke or fire?
The answer should be simple: call 911, warn the occupants using the method in your fire safety plan, then call the building contact. Ask how the guard will warn occupants when the alarm system is down, and make sure that method is written into the post orders.
7. Who covers the next shift?
Repairs often run longer than planned. Ask how the company staffs a watch that lasts several days, how shift handovers work, and what happens if a guard does not arrive. A gap between shifts is a gap in the record.
8. Can you send proof of insurance and WSIB?
Every licensed agency must carry at least $2,000,000 in general liability insurance under O. Reg. 462/07. Ask for a current certificate of insurance and a WSIB clearance. If your landlord, condo corporation or general contractor needs to be named on the certificate, say so on the first call.
9. How is the watch billed?
Ask about the hourly rate, any minimum shift length, and charges for nights, weekends and public holidays. Under Ontario’s Employment Standards Act, a guard working a public holiday may earn premium pay, so holiday rates are normal. However, any extra charge should be stated up front, not on the invoice.
Red flags when choosing a fire watch company
- No agency licence number, or one you cannot find on the registry.
- No sample log, or a log with nothing but times and initials.
- A guard who is expected to cover the front desk at the same time.
- No answer when you call after hours to test the line.
- A price with no mention of minimum hours, overtime or holidays.
Fire watch contacts in Hamilton
For a fire or smoke, call 911 first. For questions about a shutdown, your fire safety plan or an inspection, the Hamilton Fire Department’s Fire Prevention Division can be reached at 905-546-2424 ext. 1380. Outside Hamilton, contact your own municipality’s fire prevention office.
How StandBy Security handles a fire watch call
Our dispatch line in Hamilton runs 24/7. For an urgent fire watch, a licensed guard is typically on site within 1 to 2 hours, depending on location and road conditions. Every guard holds an individual Ontario licence, and our agency licence is #30000322. Before the first round, the guard walks the affected areas and reads the post orders for your site. We send our certificate of insurance and WSIB clearance on request, and if a guard cannot make a shift, a licensed replacement is typically on site within 1 to 2 hours.
See our fire watch services in Hamilton, our wider security services across Hamilton, or how we screen and train our guards. To book a watch, call (289) 309-3633 or send a quote request, and we will reply the same business day.
Reviewed by the StandBy Security operations team. Last reviewed: .