Fire Watch in BC: The AHJ Checklist That Keeps Occupancy Legal
When sprinklers are drained or an alarm system is offline, fire watch keeps your building open. Here's the checklist most contractors miss.
AHJ notification before the watch starts
The Authority Having Jurisdiction — usually your municipal fire prevention officer — needs to know before the impairment starts, not after. Skip this step and you risk occupancy violations, insurance denials, and evacuation orders.
The 15/30/60-minute round decision
Round frequency depends on the impairment type. Full alarm impairment usually mandates 30-minute rounds. Sprinkler impairment can be hourly. Hot work is 15-minute rounds during work and 60 minutes for the hour after — check with your AHJ.
Documentation the AHJ will actually ask for
Timestamped log per round, officer name and SWL number, extinguisher placement verification, communication log with any 911 calls, and photo evidence of round completion. Digital logs beat paper — assume the AHJ will audit.
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