Fire Watch and Fire Guard Services in New York City

When the FDNY Requires a Fire Guard

In New York City, a fire watch is called a fire guard, and the FDNY decides who may stand one. When a required fire protection system, such as a sprinkler or fire alarm system, is out of service, the building must keep a fire watch. For an outage in a space of 50,000 square feet or less, the impairment coordinator or a trained person named by the owner may make the patrols for the first four hours. After that, the patrols must be made by fire guards who hold an FDNY Certificate of Fitness.

FDNY Certificates of Fitness Our Officers Hold

Certificate	FDNY Name	Typical Use
F-01	Citywide Fire Guard for Impairment	Fire watch while a sprinkler, fire alarm or other required fire protection system is out of service
F-03	Indoor Place of Assembly Safety Personnel	Fire safety at an approved indoor place of assembly, such as a venue, ballroom or event space
F-04	Temporary Indoor/Outdoor Place of Assembly Safety Personnel	Fire safety at temporary events held at different locations, such as product launches, tents and pop-ups
F-60	Fire Guard for Torch Operations	Watching for fire during and after welding, torch cutting, grinding and other hot work

MGP assigns officers who hold the certificate each post requires. Certificates are checked before assignment and kept on file for the client and the FDNY. If a site needs a certificate not listed here, tell us when you request coverage.

What Our Fire Guards Do

• Patrol the areas named in the Post Orders at the required interval
• Keep the fire guard log with the time and conditions of each round, and make it available to the FDNY
• Check that exits, stairways and paths of travel are clear, and report obstructions
• If a fire is found, call 911, alert occupants and follow the site’s emergency plan
• Notify the site contact when the system is restored so the client can end the watch

Where We Provide Fire Watch in New York City

What to Tell Us When You Call

To set up coverage, have ready the address, the system that is out of service, the floors and square footage affected, the expected repair time and any instructions from the FDNY or your impairment coordinator. MGP writes these into the Post Orders before the first shift.

Limitations

Fire guards are not firefighters. They do not fight or suppress fires, and they do not certify code compliance or decide when a fire watch may end. The building owner, the impairment coordinator and the FDNY set those requirements.

Common Questions

Do fire guards in New York City need a Certificate of Fitness?

In most cases, yes. For a system impairment, after the first four hours the patrols must be made by a holder of the FDNY Certificate of Fitness for that work. Places of assembly and hot work have their own certificates, including F-03, F-04 and F-60.

Can a security officer also stand fire watch?

Yes, when the officer holds the required FDNY certificate. MGP fire guards work under the same supervision, GPS-confirmed clock-in and incident reporting as every MGP post.