If you run a business and occupy a space, there is always a risk of fire. As someone that occupies a space such as this, you’ll know that you need to have fire safety equipment already installed to meet insurance and lease requirements. This equipment can include alarms, sprinklers and a warning system to contact your local fire station, but what happens if your equipment fails? This is where a fire watch service comes in. If you aren’t sure what a fire watch service is and the factors to consider before you hire one, don’t worry, we’re going to cover it for you.
What Is A Fire Watch Service?
A fire watch service are security professionals that help to protect the building and sites when the alarm systems aren’t functioning correctly. They are often used when buildings are being refurbished. The Fast Fire Watch Company can help you protect your property by being able to reduce the risk of a fire starting and taking hold.
Are They On Site 24/7?
One of the things about a fire breaking out, is that it can happen at any time. Fires don’t tend to stick to a schedule, so you want to make sure that your fire watch service are on site 24/7. This way they are able to either take preventative action and reduce the risk, or if a fire does break out, they are able to stop it before it takes hold. When you bring on a fire watch service, the first thing they will do is conduct a thorough inspection of the property or site. This way they become familiar with the layout. This way, when they do walk throughs of the space, they don’t miss any areas.
Reputation and Expertise
When you are hiring a service, you want to make sure that you aren’t just going for the cheapest service available. You want to invest in a service that not only has a good reputation, but also has the expertise to match. Look for testimonials from other users and see the credentials that this service has. At a minimum, the service that you are considering using should be OHSA certified, however, you want a higher level of expertise than just health and safety.
Event Logging
Before you settle on your chosen company, you want to make sure that they event log in a coherent manner. Insurance companies are well known to not fulfil claims when it comes to fire if the event logs aren’t up to standard. You want to make sure that your chosen company logs events in the way that your insurance company wants. There are different ways of writing reports, so make sure that the company you are hiring are well versed in how to do this.
Licencing
Before you take on your fire watch team, you want to make sure that they have all the licencing in place. Conduct your due diligence here. Make sure you are well versed in what licences these organisations need and then when they show you their credentials, contact the bodies that have issued them and confirm them. If you just go for the first company that you find who turn out not to be licenced, then in the event of a fire and damage, your insurance company won’t pay out. It may seem like due diligence pushed too far, but you want to make sure that your chosen company is legitimate to ensure your safety.
How Many Patrol Staff Do You Need?
If you have a big space, you want to make sure that you have the right number of staff for the space given. You also want to make sure that the company aren’t going overkill with their staff just to fill their pockets. Speak to other people that use a similar service to you. You want to make sure that your chosen company is operating at the optimum number. This means that not only is your business safe, but it means the company you have chosen makes money and you pay a fair rate for their services and expertise.
How Long Do You Need The Service?
Fire watch services aren’t a cheap option when it comes to preventative measures. When you are looking to bring in a service such as this, it is often due to needing a stop gap between your system breaking and your system being fixed. Most services are used for no more than 3 or 4 days at a time, so plan for the worst-case scenario and budget for your system taking longer to fix than you envisage. This way, when it comes to spending money, you have a rough idea how much you are going to outlay.
Wrap UP
When it comes to fire watch services, there are a few considerations that you need to make before you employ a service to keep your sites safe. You want to make sure that they know how to report fire events in a coherent fashion, along with making sure that your insurance company validates their reporting method. These services are used as an interim measure for when you can’t get your fire alarm system fixed, so you want to make sure that you are budgeting for worst case scenario, as these firms are expensive. Make sure that you conduct the normal due diligence that you would otherwise to ensure total insurance compliance and safety.