A3 GSA Region 10 - Policy for Fire Watches.pdf

G S A R e g i o n 1 0 P a g e | 20

R e v i s i o n D a t e 0 6 / 2 4 / 2 0 2 0

Attachment 1 - Guidelines for Fire Watches During Sprinkler or Fire Alarm System Impairment in Federal Buildings

Note:

- The GSA Fire Protection Engineer shall witness the final test(s). At this time, any and all test(s) required to confirm system operation in compliance with the contract documents shall be repeated at the discretion of the Government. Should the fire alarm system or any of its components or interfaces to not operate as required, the GSA Fire Protection Engineer may cancel the final test and require the final test to be repeated when deficiencies are resolved to the satisfaction of the GSA Fire Protection Engineer. Any such repeated test, as required by the Government, shall be done at no additional expense to the Government. The repeated test(s) expenses shall be borne by the contractor and shall include but not be limited to, contractor’s direct and indirect expenses for repeating the testing, travel and professional expenses for project Architects and Engineers related to final acceptance and/or integrated systems testing, travel and professional expenses for GSA fire protection engineers, technicians, contracting officers, contracting officer’s representatives, project managers and property managers and any other expense necessary to repeat final acceptance and/or integrated systems testing as required by this contract.

Applicability

In the event that a required fire alarm or sprinkler system is determined to be out of service, the International Fire Code (IFC), which is applicable in federal facilities, requires that the building be evacuated, or an approved fire watch be established. In addition, property protection and continuity of operations are important in federal facilities, and a fire watch serves as a means of minimizing the risk when fire protection systems are impaired.

Whenever a fire protection system is impaired for any reason, the local fire department shall be notified immediately.

When a fire protection system, or portion of a system, must be shut down for any scheduled repairs or alterations, the contractor will be required to provide a fire watch at all times and the contractor will be responsible for all cost associated for this service for the entire duration unless the Building/Property Management is culpable for this requirement. For such impairments, the fire watch shall be in accordance with applicable contract documents.

Where the impairment is unscheduled – generally resulting from failure of system components – the GSA regional fire protection engineer shall be notified of the system, or portion thereof that is impaired, the reason for the impairment and a point of contact at the facility. An approved fire watch shall be established for all areas left unprotected by the shutdown.

The GSA Fire Protection Engineer is the only personnel authorized to approve fire watch.

G S A R e g i o n 1 0 P a g e | 21

Roles and Responsibilities (where applicable)

A. Point of contact personnel (POC) - Building/Property Management or

Contractor's Representative

The POCP shall immediately notify the GSA regional fire protection engineer, local fire department, and tenant agencies that the fire alarm or sprinkler system is not operational. Where the fire alarm system is monitored by an alarm-receiving facility (e.g., central station and/or GSA Regional Emergency Management & Communication Center), the facility(s) that monitors the fire alarm shall also be notified. The notification shall include the purpose of the shutdown, the extent of the impairment (system or component involved), and estimated time of shutdown.

The POCP shall assign an impairment coordinator to comply with these guidelines. The POCP shall oversee all repairs or modification to the fire protection system, and shall be responsible for making all notifications.

The POCP shall establish a temporary fire watch by responsible individuals who are dedicated solely to fire watch duty and provide fire watch personnel with a means of identifying themselves as authorized representatives of the facility.

The contractor with the building/property management shall designate the route to be covered by fire watch personnel. The route shall be explicitly defined to ensure that the fire watch personnel patrols the correct area(s).

The impairment coordinator shall provide fire watch personnel assigned to each route with instructions, all details regarding the route, and the functions to be carried out in covering the route.

The contractor with the building/property management shall establish procedures for orderly conduct of the operations at the property, including procedures for fire loss prevention both by employees and by outside contractors, and the prompt reporting of any fires discovered by notifying the local fire department. In addition to notifying the local fire department, the predefined emergency building notification and evacuation procedures shall be initiated.

The POCP shall inform the fire watch personnel to ensure they are familiar with the property being protected, and procedures, including:

Occupancies and hazards.

Fire suppression systems.

Manual and automatic detection and alarm systems.

Portable fire extinguishers.

The building occupant emergency plans (e.g., evacuation or relocation of building occupants) for dealing with fires and other emergencies.

G S A R e g i o n 1 0 P a g e | 22

Hazards to look for including, poor housekeeping, improper use or storage of hazardous materials, electrical hazards, etc.

The impairment coordinator shall ensure that fire watch personnel are familiar with the procedures to follow in the recognition and reporting of an emergency, including:

When and how to use the telephone, or radio equipment to summon aid.

How to notify the local fire department, and the Federal Protective Service

GSA personnel to be contacted.

Procedures to notify building occupants that there is a fire and that evacuation, or relocation to a lower floor, is necessary.

The impairment coordinator shall provide fire watch personnel with a means for continuous communication (i.e., two-way radio, walkie-talkies, bull-horns, etc.)

with a constantly attended location such as a guard station.

The impairment coordinator shall ensure that:

Time record charts of fire watch personnel are promptly reviewed.

Files are maintained for review.

All irregularities are investigated, recorded, and corrective action is taken.

The contractor and building/property management shall create and maintain a continuously updated directory of names, telephone numbers, and other information to assist in making emergency calls. This directory shall include the telephone numbers of key facility personnel to be notified in an emergency, local fire department, and the Federal Protective Service. The impairment coordinator shall ensure that proper procedures are implemented when impaired equipment is restored to normal working order.

B. GSA Regional Fire Protection Engineer

The regional fire protection engineer shall determine the extent and duration of the fire watch based on the contractor’s request.

The regional fire protection engineer shall provide consultation and technical advice to building/property management as necessary.

C. Fire Watch Personnel

Fire watch personnel shall make rounds at one (1) hour intervals.

Fire watch personnel shall create and sign a log sheet that is maintained in the building/property management office or fire alarm control room.

G S A R e g i o n 1 0 P a g e | 23

Fire watch personnel shall use the telephone, or radio equipment to summon aid in the event of an emergency

Fire watch personnel shall notify the local fire department, the Federal Protective Service and GSA personnel in the event of an emergency

Fire watch personnel shall notify building occupants that there is a fire and that evacuation, or relocation to a lower floor, is necessary

Procedures

The GSA regional fire protection engineer and the local fire department shall be notified that the fire protection system or portion thereof, is out of service. The affected tenant agencies shall also be notified that the system is out of service and that a fire watch is being established.

A red tag shall be used to indicate that a sprinkler or fire alarm system, or portion thereof, has been removed from service. The tag shall be posted at each fire department connection, system control valve, fire alarm control unit, fire alarm annunciator and command center, indicating which system or part thereof, has been removed from service. The impairment coordinator shall ensure that the appropriate system components are marked with tags.

The tags shall be titled “Fire Alarm Out of Service Tag,” and “Suppression System Closed Valve Tag.”

Fire watch rounds shall be conducted at one (1) hour intervals. A fire watch log stating the begin time and end time of each individual round shall be maintained in the building/property management office or the fire alarm control room. The exact scope and duration of fire watches shall be based on contract specifications for scheduled impairments.

For unscheduled impairments, the scope and duration of the fire watch shall be determined by building/property management in consultation with the regional fire protection engineer.

Impairment of a sprinkler system limited to a single floor or group of floors in an occupied building: The rounds shall include inspection of all unprotected spaces on the floor(s) including exit stairs.

Impairment of entire building sprinkler system: The rounds shall include all spaces throughout all levels including exit stairs. In addition, the rounds shall include inspections of basements, concealed spaces, attics, etc.

Scheduled impairment of sprinkler system on a floor or section of a floor due to construction operations: The rounds may be limited to the construction area if the

G S A R e g i o n 1 0 P a g e | 24 system impairment is limited to this area. If the system impairment includes adjacent occupied areas or an entire floor, the fire watch shall be expanded to cover these areas also. A fire watch may not be required in an area under construction when only the fire alarm notification appliances are not operational and the area is protected with sprinklers.

Scheduled impairment of a fire alarm system on a floor or section of a floor due to construction operations: The rounds may be limited to the construction area if the system impairment is limited to this area. If the system impairment includes adjacent occupied areas or an entire floor, the fire watch shall be expanded to cover these areas also. A fire watch may not be required in an area under construction when only the fire alarm notification appliances are not operational and the area is not occupied.

Restoring system to service: When impaired equipment is restored to normal working order, the following procedures shall be followed:

Necessary inspections and tests shall be conducted to verify that affected systems are operational. This typically includes operational testing of fire alarm initiating devices, notification appliances, main drain test for sprinkler system, etc.

Building personnel and tenant agencies shall be advised that protection is restored

The local fire department shall be advised that the protection is restored.

The GSA regional fire protection engineer, and where applicable, the alarm-receiving facility(s) (e.g., central station and/or GSA Regional Emergency Management & Communication Center), and the Federal Protective Service shall be advised that protection has been restored.

The impairment tag(s) shall be removed.