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Set hours
Agreed hours only, such as one hot-work shift.
Best for Hot work, overnight and weekend impairments
Fire watch services · California · PPO #121572
Fire Watch Services in California
Fire watch services for California properties with a down sprinkler or alarm system or active hot work. Request a quote.
- 24/7 dispatch for sprinkler and alarm outages
- Fire watch log: CitiTrac reporting, free of charge
- Every officer holds a California BSIS Guard Card
- No overtime charges except on major holidays
Quick answer
A dedicated officer patrols for fire while your sprinkler or alarm is down or hot work runs, logging every round for fire code compliance. Fire watch is priced hourly, quoted on hours, officers and site size.
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INC. 50002025 & 2026
Two years on the list
How a fire watch works
Each shift follows your written post orders.
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Brief and access
Keys and consent for non-public areas.
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Start the watch
Start time logged; impaired zone checked.
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Walk each round
Time-stamped photos and GPS at checkpoints
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Watch for fire
Smoke, heat, blocked exits; fire department first.
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Log and hand over
Log entry passed to next officer.
Your fire authority sets the round interval; you choose set hours, continuous coverage or both.
Set hours, continuous watch, or both
Your fire authority sets rounds; no overtime charges except on major holidays.
Continuous watch
Continuous patrols until the system returns.
Best for Sprinkler system outages with no repair date
Both
Continuous patrols plus hot-work shift hours.
Best for Construction sites with impairments and hot work
What fire watch services can include
Rounds, the fire watch log, and your part.
On every round
- The impaired zone
- Stairwells and exit doors
- Authorized rooms
- Smoke, heat, ignition sources
- Hot-work and cool-down areas
- Fire department called first
Fire watch log
- Round times and areas checked
- Hazards found, incidents and who was notified
- Shift handover entries
- Time-stamped photos
- Observations and actions taken
- Start and end times
What you supply
- Named impairment coordinator
- Written access consent
- Keys, cards and codes
- Required round interval
- After-hours contact list
- Floor plans marking impaired zones
Not included: front desk, access control or cleaning.
Your own staff or on-site officer?
Down system, fire watch needed: staff it yourself or hire an officer.
| What matters | Your own staff | Hired officer | Staff + officer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personnel | An employee pulled off regular work | Dedicated officer, fire patrol only | Staff days, officer nights, weekends |
| Typical use | Short, planned daytime impairment with spare staff | Unplanned outages, overnight watches, hot work | Long repairs nobody on staff can cover overnight |
| Fire watch log | Your team's own log; you check completeness | CitiTrac reporting, free of charge | Agree one shared log format |
| Cost drivers | Wages, overtime and paused regular work | Hours, officers, site size | Officer hours plus staff time |
| The limit | Staff can't also run desk or maintenance | Needs keys, access consent and site brief | Handover gaps leave building unwatched |
Unsure? Request a quote with your repair date. About hiring security guards
Who stands your fire watch
Your fire watch officers, and what to check on arrival.
- One job: fire watch roundsImpaired zones, exits, hot-work areas.
- Guard card carried on dutyAsk to see it on arrival.
- State-registered, background-checkedDOJ and FBI criminal history checks.
- Patch names the employerShoulder patch: private security, company name.
- Backed around the clockA consultant on call 24/7.
Fire watch log exampleIllustration
- Property
- Example hotel, alarm panel offline
- Round
- 3:00 AM · round 6, overnight watch
- Checked
- Floors 2–4 · laundry · panel room
- Observed
- Linen cart blocking floor 3 exit
- Action
- Cart moved, exit cleared; photo logged
- Notified
- Night manager, phone, 3:06 AM
What your fire watch log records
Each fire watch round goes into your log: CitiTrac reporting, free of charge.
- Each round: time-stamped photos and GPS at checkpoints
- Your fire marshal confirms the required log format
- Keep the log on site until release
- A consultant on call 24/7 for post-order changes
- Name who gets alerts when hazards are found
Protecting the Places That Matter
Some of the California organizations we’ve worked with.
Fire watch patrols
Apartments, hotels, warehouses and construction sites in California. Send your address to confirm coverage.
Industries served
- Apartment and HOA Security
- Business Park Security
- Campus Security
- Government Facility Security
- High-Rise and Loft Security
- Energy and Utilities Security
- Logistics and Transportation Security
- Manufacturing Facility Security
- Hotel, Motel and Resort Security
- Medical Center and Hospital Security
- Construction Site Security
In depth
Fire watch services: planning beyond the basics
What happens when a sprinkler system or fire alarm system goes offline? Your local fire authority generally decides whether to clear the building or post a fire watch until repairs finish. Call the fire department first, then your sprinkler or alarm contractor. Ask the fire marshal for three things in writing: the round interval, the zones the system impairment leaves unprotected, and who signs off when the system returns to service. Those answers become the post orders and set the quote. A firm repair date also helps you decide between set hours and continuous patrols, and it tells everyone when fire code compliance can be confirmed and the watch can end.
How many fire watch officers does a large building or construction site need? It depends on how long one full round takes. Walk the route with a stopwatch: every impaired floor, stairwell, exit door, mechanical room and hot-work area. If one officer cannot finish that loop inside the interval your fire authority set, add a second post or split the impaired zone into separate routes. Locked tenant suites, slow elevators and fenced laydown yards all add minutes. Consultant site reviews are by phone or video by default, in person when the client wants it. Have floor plans marked with the impaired zones ready, so the route, officer count and quote match your site.
Planning fire watch services
Settle these first.
Authorize access first
Without consent from the owner or the person in legal possession, a California security licensee's staff may not enter private areas outside common public spaces. Access to every room on the fire watch route therefore has to be authorized up front.
Can it cover reception?
No. Patrol only; staff reception separately.
Training and ID
California sets a measurable training floor for registered guards: 32 hours of skills training in the first six months of registration. A California guard must carry a valid registration card while on duty, so the site manager can ask to see it when the fire watch shift starts.
Who employs the officer?
A licensed Private Patrol Operator. Verify it.
Emergency start time
Fire watch typically on site within 2 to 4 hours, 24/7
Hot work too
Quote both: impaired-system and hot-work fire watch.
Fire watch questions
What to know before you request a quote.
What is a firewatch service?
A firewatch service posts dedicated fire watch officers to patrol areas left unprotected while a sprinkler system or fire alarm system is down, or during hot work, logging every round.
Can anyone do a fire watch?
Ask your fire marshal whether your own staff may stand the watch. A hired fire watch guard should work for a California Private Patrol Operator and carry a guard card.
How much do fire watch services cost?
Fire watch is priced hourly like a regular post, with a custom quote based on hours, number of officers and site size. Continuous patrols add hours; check the cost guide.
How fast can an emergency fire watch start?
A fire watch can typically start within 2 to 4 hours of the call, 24/7, including the same day a sprinkler or alarm system goes down. Call 800-613-5903.
What do fire watch officers check?
Fire watch patrols cover the impaired zone, stairwells, exits and hot work areas, watching for smoke, heat and blocked doors. If fire is found, the fire department is called first.
What goes in the fire watch log?
Each round records time, areas checked, hazards and who was notified. Both formats: paper log on site for the fire marshal, digital copy to you in real time through CitiTrac.
How often do fire watch patrols happen?
Your fire marshal sets the round interval, which can vary by city, occupancy and system impairment. Get it in writing so post orders and the fire watch log follow it.
Must California fire watch guards be licensed?
In California, a contracted security officer is legally an employee of a private patrol operator. A buyer should therefore check the PPO license of the company supplying the fire watch officer. Citiguard is a licensed California Private Patrol Operator, PPO #121572 (status Current; issued 2022-09-20; expires 2028-09-30). Every officer holds a California BSIS Guard Card. Ask to see the guard card at shift start.
Do you cover hot work?
Yes. Citiguard provides both impaired-system fire watch and hot-work fire watch, including welding, cutting, grinding, roofing and construction. Share the hot work hours and the cool-down period your permit requires.
Is temporary fire watch available?
Yes, by design. A temporary fire watch can run set hours, such as overnight on construction sites, or continuous patrols until the fire marshal confirms the system impairment is cleared.
When can a fire watch stop?
Generally when the impaired system is back in full service and the fire authority that ordered the watch agrees. Keep the fire watch log until then for fire code compliance.
Which areas do you cover?
Fire watch security guards are quoted by property address, from fire watch security in Ontario, CA to Santa Monica fire watch guards and Sacramento fire watch guards. Request a quote. Find your area in the directory
Fire watch quote for your property
Request a quote for fire watch services, or call 800-613-5903 if a system is down.
- Address and impaired system
- Expected repair date
- After-hours contact names
- Fire authority's round interval
Request a Quote
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