Fire Watch Guards in Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Wisconsin & Indiana
When a fire alarm or sprinkler system is down, your building still has to be protected until it’s back in service. AESS provides unarmed fire watch guards in Milwaukee, Indianapolis and across Wisconsin and Indiana, 24/7.
When You Need Fire Watch
- Fire alarm or sprinkler system outages
- Construction, renovation and hot work
- System repairs and inspections
- Orders from the fire marshal
What Our Fire Watch Guards Do
- Patrol on the schedule set by you and your fire official
- Keep written logs of every round, ready for your records
- Call 911 and alert your team at the first sign of trouble
When Fire Watch Is Required
A fire watch is a person, or a team of people, who patrol a building while its fire alarm or sprinkler system is out of service. It is a stop-gap that protects occupants until the system is back.
The rules come from state fire codes and your local fire department:
- Wisconsin: building and fire safety rules for most public buildings and places of employment are in Wis. Admin. Code chapter SPS 314, which adopts NFPA 1 with state changes.
- Indiana: the Indiana Fire Code (675 IAC 22) is based on the International Fire Code. Under it, when a required fire protection system is out of service, the fire department and fire code official must be notified immediately, and the building must be evacuated or an approved fire watch provided until the system is back in service.
Your fire marshal or fire department decides the details for your building, such as how often to patrol and how long the fire watch must last. Call them first, and call us with their requirements.
Fire Watch Guard Duties
- Walk the areas named by your fire official on the schedule they set
- Look for fire, smoke and fire hazards, and report them
- Keep exits, stairwells and fire doors clear and report blocked ones
- Call 911 and alert your team at the first sign of trouble
- Help people leave the building if there is an emergency
- Stay on the fire watch only, with no other duties during the shift
Our guards do not fight fires. They raise the alarm and get people out.
Fire Watch Logs
Every round goes in a written log: date, time, guard name, areas checked, anything found, and any calls made. The log is ready for your fire official, your insurance company and your records at the end of each shift or when you ask for it.
Fire Watch FAQ
When do I need a fire watch?
When a required fire alarm or sprinkler system is out of service, or when your fire marshal or fire department orders one. Your fire official sets the details.
Who tells the fire department the system is down?
The building owner or manager, usually with your alarm or sprinkler contractor. Our guards keep the logs and follow the fire official’s instructions.
Are your fire watch guards armed?
No. Fire watch guards are unarmed.
Do you cover nights, weekends and holidays?
Yes. AESS is available 24/7 in Wisconsin and Indiana, including overnight, weekend and holiday posts.
Coverage
Overnight, weekend and long-term posts at warehouses, plants, offices and apartments, plus supplemental security for hotels and venues. Unarmed guards, available 24/7, with 45 years of experience.
Wisconsin: Milwaukee, Waukesha, Kenosha, Racine, Madison, Janesville, Green Bay, Appleton, Oshkosh, Sheboygan
Indiana: Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Gary, Hammond, East Chicago, South Bend, Elkhart, Lafayette, Kokomo, Evansville
Need fire watch coverage?
Call or text 630-943-2291, 24/7, with your address and how long the system will be down, and we’ll get guards scheduled. See also warehouse and industrial security.