Key points:
- Who to call when you need to conduct fire watch.
- If your elevators can be used for evacuation.
- What external fire hazards to consider.
There are a few unique considerations to consider when dispatching emergency fire watch in downtown Denver. Many of the tips below go above and beyond fire code and OSHA or insurance requirements, but are worth it in such densely populated areas.
The best approach is a proactive approach. The Denver Fire Department is always available to answer your questions. So, be proactive and reach out to discuss your minimum firewatch requirements. If your business is downtown or in other heavily populated areas, ask the Fire Marshall what you can do to go above and beyond.
Contact The Commercial Property Manager
If you’re a commercial tenant in a multi-story building, your fire safety plan must take the whole building into consideration. So, if you’re having hot work performed in your business, monitoring and patrols must include the entire building.
As such, you must inform your building property manager, maintenance manager, or landlord before you begin. They will advise on building protocols, notify other tenants, and facilitate accessibility for compliant patrols. If the building is mixed-use commercial/residential, it may impact your patrol requirements. This means your hot work may be delayed, or that you may be required to complete work after hours.
Determine Elevator Compliance
Although elevators are never included in fire exit and egress routes, if they’re in compliance with Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators and current Safety Codes they may be used for evacuation during emergency fire watch and other emergency evacuations. This provides an alternate exit in high-rise buildings, high-occupancy buildings, when stairwells are blocked by fire, and for tenants or guests with physical disabilities.
In addition to a shunt trip that shuts the elevator down when water enters the machine room or hoistway, compliant elevators must have:
Phase I Emergency Recall
This feature returns elevators automatically, or from an external manual control, to a designated floor (often the ground floor or lobby) and opens the doors.
Phase II Emergency In-Car Operation
This phase allows firefighters to operate the elevator manually from within. This feature is helpful if returning to the ground floor is not the safest option.
Read More:
- 3 Times Your Team Can’t Perform Fire Watch
- Third-Party Fire Watch For Healthcare Centers in Denver
- Why Dispatch Dual-Trained Fire Watch Security Guards
- 4 Times to Dispatch Daily Fire Watch
Identify External Risk Factors
You know your internal fire hazards and considerations, but you must consider risk factors beyond your business and building when dispatching fire monitoring.
This may include, but is not limited to:
- Other tenants’ fire hazards. This could include a server room or flammable and hazardous materials.
- How to monitor secondary entrances and exits such as loading docks, service elevators, and parking garages.
- A community festival or event that could slow evacuation from your building or create the need for widespread evacuation.
Emergency Fire Watch Services in Denver
Scout Security understands that fire hazards, plumbing issues, repairs that require hot work, and downed fire safety and suppression systems can arise at any time of the day. This is why you can call to dispatch our team 24 hours a day when the need for trained and certified firewatchers is required.
We advise on the number of personnel required for your circumstances and can work solo or with your team. Reach out today, or add us to your third-party partner contact list.
