Your fire alarm panel is in trouble, the sprinkler system is shut off for repairs, or the fire marshal just told you that you need a fire watch — tonight. FSO Guard provides fire watch security services in Miami and South Florida: licensed officers on site within hours, patrolling on a fixed route, logging every round the way the fire department expects, and staying until your system is restored and inspected. 24/7, including nights, weekends, holidays and hurricane season.
What a fire watch is — and why the code requires it
A fire watch is a temporary replacement for an impaired fire protection system. Instead of detectors and sprinklers, trained people continuously patrol the building to detect fire early, alert occupants and call the fire department. The Florida Fire Prevention Code — based on NFPA 1 and NFPA 101, adopted statewide by the State Fire Marshal — requires building owners to evacuate or provide a fire watch when a required fire alarm system is out of service for more than 4 hours in a 24-hour period, when a sprinkler system is impaired for 10 hours or more in a 24-hour period, during hot work, and whenever the fire official orders it. Those hours are cumulative, and Palm Beach County, for example, requires rounds every 15 minutes where people sleep and every 30 minutes elsewhere. Failing to provide one can mean fines, an order to evacuate or close the building, and liability if a fire occurs.
When you need fire watch guards
- Fire alarm system out of service — panel failure, monitoring outage, damaged wiring, false-alarm troubleshooting.
- Sprinkler system impaired — pump failure, pipe repairs, water supply shut-off, freeze or hurricane damage, renovation tie-ins.
- Construction and renovation — hot work (welding, cutting, torching), temporary system shutdowns, partially occupied buildings.
- Hurricane and storm damage — buildings running on generators or with damaged systems after a storm.
- Fire marshal orders — after a failed inspection or an incident.
- Special events where the fire marshal requires fire watch personnel in tents, temporary structures or large assemblies.
Buildings we cover
High-rise condominiums and apartment buildings, hotels and short-term rental buildings, hospitals, clinics and assisted living facilities, schools and campuses, office buildings, warehouses and distribution centers, shopping centers and retail, parking garages, construction sites and buildings under renovation, marinas and boatyards, and industrial facilities across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach.
How our fire watch service works
- Call 24/7. Tell us the address, the type of building, what is impaired and whether the fire marshal has given specific instructions. We quote within the hour.
- Dispatch. Officers are typically on site within two to four hours. For large buildings we assign enough officers to complete rounds within the required interval.
- Route and briefing. A supervisor walks the building with your engineer or manager: floors, stairwells, mechanical rooms, hot-work areas, exits, extinguishers, alarm pull stations and the notification plan.
- Continuous patrol. Officers patrol every area on a fixed route at the interval your fire official requires (typically every 15 minutes in buildings where people sleep, hospitals and assemblies; every 30 minutes elsewhere), watch for fire, smoke, hazards and blocked exits, and log each round with time stamps.
- Response. If fire or smoke is found: call 911, alert occupants, begin evacuation per your plan, and notify your management contact.
- Documentation. Hourly logs for the fire marshal, a shift report to you, and a final report when the system is restored.
What is in the fire watch log
Date and time of each round, areas checked, officer name, hazards or deficiencies observed, actions taken, contact with the fire department or vendors, and system status updates. Inspectors ask for this log — having it complete and legible is part of the service.
Why property managers call FSO Guard for fire watch
- Speed. 24/7 dispatch from Hollywood, FL, with officers across Miami-Dade and Broward.
- Licensed officers (Class D) from a licensed Florida security agency (Class B), insured as the state requires — certificates of insurance for your board or landlord on request.
- Officers who understand the job. Fire watch is not a security desk; our officers are briefed on rounds, hazards and notification and are supervised throughout.
- Complete logs that satisfy the fire marshal.
- Scalable — from one officer overnight to round-the-clock teams for a high-rise over several weeks.
- English, Spanish and Russian speaking officers for buildings with diverse residents and staff.
Fire watch cost
Fire watch is billed per officer per hour, with a four-hour minimum per shift. The rate depends on notice (same-day dispatch costs more than a scheduled shutdown), time of day and total duration; multi-week watches are priced as a schedule. We send a written quote within the hour. Related: how much security guards cost in Miami.
Service area
Fire watch services in Miami, Brickell, Downtown, Miami Beach, Doral, Hialeah, Kendall, Aventura, Sunny Isles, Hallandale Beach, Hollywood, Dania Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines, Plantation, Pompano Beach, Boca Raton, Delray Beach and West Palm Beach.
Need a fire watch now? Call (786) 659-5011 — dispatch answers 24/7 — or message us on WhatsApp. For planned shutdowns, send the dates through the form and we will schedule officers in advance. See also commercial security and security guards for hire.
