Advanced Competencies: Fire Watch Training (75 Minutes)

Advanced Fire Watch Training: The Job, Shift by Shift

A 75-minute course for security officers assigned to fire watch. Built with a fire watch subject-matter expert, it covers the patrols, logs, alarms and evacuations you'll handle on post.

When you're the fire watch

A fire watch usually gets called when a building's fire alarm or sprinkler system is out of service, during hot work, or for a large event. For that shift, you're the person watching for fire.

What you'll learn

• How to run fire watch patrols and keep an accurate patrol log, with exact patrol times
• How to spot fire hazards and early signs of fire, including electrical, heating, smoking, chemical and fuel hazards
• How the fire triangle works and why it matters on a patrol
• How to check a locked door for heat before you open it
• How to handle false alarms and work with the rest of your team
• How to make the emergency call and give a clear radio report
• How to run an evacuation, help people who need assistance, get everyone to the assembly area and account for occupants
• When you should not go back into the building
• Fire classes, extinguisher types and the PASS method
• How to document an incident after it's over
• How fire watch rules change by city and state, using Washington, DC as a worked example for equipment, occupied-area coverage and staffing

Who it's for

Officers who get assigned fire watch shifts, and supervisors who need a team ready to cover one.

Course details

• Length: about 75 minutes
• Format: online and self-paced
• Assessment: knowledge checks throughout and a final quiz
• Completion: certificate included

Fire watch requirements vary by jurisdiction. Before you take an assignment, confirm the rules with your local fire marshal or authority having jurisdiction (AHJ).

Training a team? Volume discounts are available. Just ask.