Ottawa's commercial buildings — from the heritage storefronts of the ByWard Market to the glass towers of Kanata North — depend on sophisticated automated fire protection systems to keep occupants safe. But when those systems go offline, even for routine maintenance, a dangerous gap in protection opens up. That's exactly when fire watch becomes not just a best practice, but a legal requirement.
What Is Fire Watch?
Fire watch is a temporary safety protocol activated whenever a building's fire protection systems — sprinklers, alarm panels, or suppression equipment — are impaired or fully offline. Trained personnel physically patrol the building at set intervals, watching for smoke or fire and prepared to raise the alarm manually if needed.
Under Ontario's Fire Code, commercial property owners are legally obligated to implement fire watch procedures the moment their fire protection systems become impaired. Skipping this step isn't just a regulatory risk — it can have life-or-death consequences.
When Is Fire Watch Required?
Fire watch is typically triggered in Ottawa commercial properties by:
- Planned maintenance or upgrades — Sprinkler repairs, fire alarm panel replacements, or zone shutdowns during renovation
- Unexpected system failures — Power outages, pipe failures, or equipment malfunctions that knock out sprinkler coverage
- Active construction — When building work temporarily disables fire protection in occupied sections
The Mississippi Mills area west of Ottawa — home to historic commercial corridors in Almonte and Carleton Place — faces additional challenges: many older buildings predate modern suppression standards, making any system downtime especially risky.
What Proper Fire Watch Looks Like
Effective fire watch goes well beyond stationing someone near the entrance. A compliant fire watch program includes:
- Regular timed patrols — Personnel walk every floor and zone at intervals typically set between 15 and 30 minutes, as directed by the local fire authority
- Written documentation — A patrol log noting the time, areas covered, and any observations after each pass
- Clear escalation protocols — Defined steps for notifying Ottawa Fire Services and building management the moment a hazard is spotted
- Immediate evacuation authority — Fire watch staff must be empowered to initiate evacuation without waiting for approval
The Real Cost of Getting This Wrong
A fire that ignites during a system outage can spread unchecked — no sprinklers to suppress it, no alarm to alert occupants automatically. For Ottawa businesses, the consequences range from regulatory fines and liability exposure to catastrophic property loss and, in worst-case scenarios, loss of life.
Ottawa Fire Services conducts compliance checks on commercial properties, particularly during known system outages or major construction periods. Inspectors can order immediate corrective action — including building closure — if fire watch is absent or inadequate.
What Ottawa Property Managers Should Do Now
Whether you operate a restaurant in Centretown, a retail plaza in Barrhaven, or an office complex in Orleans, knowing your fire watch obligations before a system goes down is essential. The moment impairment occurs:
- Notify Ottawa Fire Services if the impairment exceeds the threshold set by your fire protection contractor
- Deploy trained fire watch personnel immediately — don't wait
- Log every patrol and keep records on-site
- Restore the system as quickly as possible and document when full service resumes
For compliance questions, Ottawa property owners can contact Ottawa Fire Services through the City of Ottawa's website or consult a licensed fire protection contractor familiar with Ontario Fire Code requirements.
Source: Ottawa Life Magazine
