Fire Watch Policy and Procedures

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Approved by: President's Cabinet

Original Date Effective: 2024-03-11

Last Modified:

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Purpose:

This policy outlines the requirements of a fire watch if the fire alarm and/or sprinkler systems in any campus building become inoperative.

Definitions:

A fire watch allows buildings to be temporarily occupied when the above-mentioned systems are out of service.

Fire watch service is a group of qualified people who patrol the affected areas of the building. They function as the fire alarm system to report fires or similar emergencies to the JSCC Police Department or the Jackson City Fire Department and initiate building evacuation if a fire or emergency occurs.

Fire watch personnel must be trained in the College’s Emergency Management Plan, Crisis Response Plan, Section B, page 22: Fire evacuation processes, practice, and Fire Extinguisher execution.

Policy/Procedure and Responsibility:

Physical Plant & Chief of Police

1. A fire watch shall be established in a building when the fire alarm and/or sprinkler system is temporarily shut down for more than 4 hours for maintenance, periodic inspection, renovation, or demolition work. The areas affected by the outage or malfunction will be covered until the system has been repaired, tested, and placed back into service.
2. In assembly places, a fire watch is always required when buildings are occupied. The decision to implement a fire watch will be determined jointly by the Physical Plant and the Chief of Police. When public assembly places are unoccupied, the decision will be considered by the Physical Plant and the Chief of Police.
3. A fire watch is required only during regular business hours in buildings other than public assembly places. Outside of regular business hours, the need for a fire watch will be determined by the Physical Plant and Chief of Police.
4. A fire watch will be manned by maintenance staff, building supervisors, campus police, or other personnel and outside agencies approved by the campus.
5. Contractors will be responsible for implementing a fire watch for impairments caused by construction work. Each affected floor may require a trained person as determined by the Physical Plant and Chief of Police.
6. Inspect all public areas, mechanical/electrical rooms, storage/closet areas, kitchens, laundry rooms, and other high-risk places every 45 minutes in the affected building areas.
7. A fire watch will be conducted until the fire alarm and/or sprinkler systems have been repaired, tested, and returned to service.

Physical Plant

1. Notify Campus Police when a fire alarm and/or sprinkler system is inoperative or impaired due to maintenance.
2. Notify the appropriate off-campus agencies, such as the Fire Department and the State Fire Marshal Office, of a malfunction or planned outage of a building fire alarm and/or sprinkler.
3. Notify the appropriate off-campus agencies when the inoperative building alarm and/or sprinkler system has been repaired, tested, and returned to service.
4. Responsible for properly operating all fire alarm systems in campus buildings.
5. Notify any other appropriate departments when a fire watch has been terminated.
6. Immediately notify the VP of Finance and Administrative Affairs of any problem implementing a fire watch.

Campus Police

1. Immediately inform the Physical Plant if a fire alarm system is impaired.
2. Participate in the implementation of fire watch procedures.
3. Regularly patrol the building protected by fire watch until the system is restored.
4. Immediately notify the local fire department of any reports of smoke or flames in the building protected by a fire watch.

Sources/References:

Sprinkler System Vendor:

Key Fire Protection 252 US Highway 412 E Jackson, Tn 38305 731-424-0130

Volunteer Technology Systems 125 Miller Ave Jackson, Tn 38305 731-660-8878