NFPA 25
Inspection, Testing and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems
- When it applies
- A sprinkler, standpipe or fire pump system is taken out of service or impaired.
- What it asks for
- NFPA 25 sets out an impairment procedure: someone is put in charge of the impairment, the fire department and other parties are notified, and the building owner takes interim measures to protect the building until the system is restored. A fire watch is the most common of those measures.
- Where FireWatch Pro fits
- FireWatch Pro records who patrolled, which checkpoints they reached and when — for the whole impairment, start to finish.
NFPA 72
National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code
- When it applies
- A fire alarm or signaling system is impaired, out of service, or not monitored.
- What it asks for
- When the fire alarm system cannot detect or report a fire, the people in the building lose their early warning. The code requires impairments to be handled and reported, and the authority having jurisdiction commonly requires a fire watch until the system is back.
- Where FireWatch Pro fits
- Guards patrol on a set schedule and scan a tag at each checkpoint; a missed round escalates by text and phone call instead of going unnoticed.
NFPA 241
Safeguarding Construction, Alteration and Demolition Operations
- When it applies
- A building is under construction, renovation or demolition.
- What it asks for
- Buildings are most vulnerable to fire while they are being built or torn down: protection systems may not be working yet, and hot work and combustible materials are everywhere. NFPA 241 calls for a site fire prevention program, which can include fire watches.
- Where FireWatch Pro fits
- Construction sites get the same checkpoint patrol record, so the fire prevention program has proof behind it.
NFPA 51B
Fire Prevention During Welding, Cutting and Other Hot Work
- When it applies
- Welding, cutting, brazing, grinding or other hot work is performed.
- What it asks for
- Sparks and slag can start fires that smolder unseen. NFPA 51B requires a fire watch during hot work and for a period after it ends. The exact time depends on the edition your jurisdiction enforces.
- Where FireWatch Pro fits
- The post-work watch is timestamped and GPS-stamped, so there is a record that it lasted as long as it had to.
Local fire code & the AHJ
The authority having jurisdiction
The NFPA standards are adopted, and sometimes changed, by your state or city through its fire code. The local fire marshal or code official — the authority having jurisdiction, or AHJ — decides when a fire watch is required, who may perform it, and how it must be documented. Always follow their direction. FireWatch Pro keeps the record they will ask for.
NERIS
National Emergency Response Information System
- What it is
- NERIS is the U.S. Fire Administration’s national system for fire and emergency response data, built with the Fire Safety Research Institute. It is replacing the decades-old National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS).
- How FireWatch Pro uses it
- When a property is added, FireWatch Pro uses NERIS data to find the fire department and station that cover that address. That is how fire watches reach the right fire department’s view — the department that would actually respond.
- For fire departments
- Verified fire personnel see the active fire watches in their own jurisdiction, with every round and every missed check-in. It is always free for fire departments.
FireWatch Pro is a scheduling, record-keeping and alerting tool. It does not perform fire watches, does not certify compliance, and is not affiliated with or endorsed by NFPA, the U.S. Fire Administration or the Fire Safety Research Institute. NFPA 25, NFPA 72, NFPA 241 and NFPA 51B are standards published by the National Fire Protection Association. Requirements vary by edition and jurisdiction — your AHJ has the final word.