The Field Guide · Free Template
Fire Watch Log Template — Printable Rounds Sheet
Three printable pages: reason for the watch, notifications, 40 numbered patrol rounds and end-of-watch sign-off.
- Reason for the watch: sprinkler, alarm, standpipe or fire pump impairment, hot work, construction, or an order from the fire code official
- Notification record: fire department, building owner, alarm monitoring company, insurer
- 40 numbered rounds with start and end time, areas checked, hazards observed, action taken and initials
- Patrol interval recorded as set by the authority having jurisdiction, with personnel sign-in and end-of-watch sign-off
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This template is published by Patrol Tech, a manufacturer of guard tour software. We design these templates to be operationally correct and aligned with industry best practices, not to promote our product. If you find anything ambiguous or legally questionable in your jurisdiction, just reply to the email — we read every message.
A fire watch log is the written record of a fire watch: who stood the watch, which areas were checked on every round, what hazards were found and what was done about them. A fire watch is usually ordered while a fire protection system is out of service or during hot work. Whether one is required, and how often the rounds must run, is decided by the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ). This template is three printable pages.
When a fire watch is required
The requirement comes from the fire code your jurisdiction has adopted, from permit conditions, or from a direct order of the fire code official. Where their instructions differ from any template, including this one, follow them. Three common situations, with the source that describes each:
- Impaired sprinkler systems: NFPA 25, Chapter 15 (Impairments), lists an approved fire watch among the measures a property can take while a water-based fire protection system is out of service.
- Hot work in general industry: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.252(a)(2)(iii) requires fire watchers where the conditions it lists exist, and a fire watch for at least half an hour after welding or cutting is completed.
- Construction, alteration and demolition: NFPA 241 requires a written Fire Prevention Program under a designated Fire Prevention Program Manager. The fire watch and its log should be coordinated with that program.
What the fire watch log records
The log is built so that, at the end of the watch, anyone can check that every round was made and every hazard was dealt with.
- Site, address, fire watch provider and date
- Reason for the watch, the impaired system or zone, start time and expected restoration
- Notifications made before the watch starts: fire department or fire code official, building owner, alarm monitoring company, insurer
- Patrol requirements: the interval and who set it, the areas to cover, the nearest extinguishers and how to raise the alarm
- Fire watch personnel signing in and out
- 40 numbered rounds: start and end time, areas checked, hazards observed, action taken, initials
- End of watch: restoration time, who verified it, who was notified, signatures
How to keep a fire watch log
Record why the watch is needed
Fill in the site details, tick the reason for the watch and describe the impaired system or zone with its start time and expected restoration.
Log the notifications
Before the watch starts, record who was notified, by whom and when: fire department or fire code official, building owner, monitoring company and insurer where required.
Write down the patrol requirements
Record the patrol interval and who set it, the areas to cover each round, the nearest fire extinguishers and how to raise the alarm.
Log every round
For each round, write the start and end time, the areas checked, any hazard observed ("none" if nothing was found), the action taken and your initials. If a round is missed, write why.
Close the watch
When the system is restored or the hot work ends, record the time, who verified the restoration and who was notified, then sign together with the supervisor or site manager.
Frequently asked questions
What is a fire watch log?
It is the written record of a fire watch: the reason for the watch, the notifications made, the people who stood the watch, and a time-stamped line for every patrol round with the areas checked, hazards found and actions taken.
When is a fire watch required?
Typically while a fire protection system such as sprinklers or the fire alarm is out of service, during and after hot work, or on construction sites, when the fire code, the permit or the fire code official requires it. The authority having jurisdiction decides whether a fire watch is required in each case.
How often must fire watch rounds be made?
The interval is set by the authority having jurisdiction, the adopted fire code or the permit conditions, and can differ from site to site. The log has a field for the interval and for who set it. For hot work in general industry, OSHA 29 CFR 1910.252(a)(2)(iii) requires the fire watch to continue for at least half an hour after welding or cutting is completed.
What must a fire watcher be able to do?
Local rules and the AHJ set the qualifications. For hot work, OSHA 29 CFR 1910.252(a)(2)(iii)(B) states that fire watchers must have fire extinguishing equipment readily available, be trained in its use and be familiar with the facilities for sounding an alarm.