In 2017, the Grenfell Tower disaster highlighted that many high rise properties across the UK had major fire safety issues relating to the cladding installed on the exterior of the building.
In response to these findings, the Government made it a legal requirement for buildings with such cladding to take additional measures to reduce the risk of a similar incident ever happening again.
Why is waking watch or an alarm system legally required?
According to the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), any buildings with combustible cladding or dangerous exterior wall systems must temporarily make the switch from the established ‘stay-put’ strategy to a simultaneous evacuation strategy in the case of a fire.
In order for evacuation to be an effective strategy, early identification is essential, and having either waking watch marshals on site, to an integrated alarm system is required for this to be possible.
As the cost of replacing the cladding on high rise buildings is extortionate many people are finding that these ‘temporary’ measures have become a long-term commitment, leaving residents with a straight up choice between waking watch and installing a common alarm system.
V360 are leading providers of both waking watch and v-fire alarm systems and we have put together this guide giving you all the information you need to make an informed decision as to the best approach to take if you find yourself in this situation.
What is waking watch?
A waking watch is a service carried out by trained fire marshals who will patrol your building 24 hours a day on the lookout for any potential fire hazards.
Should a fire be detected they will quickly alert residents and assist in the evacuation and implementation of pre-agreed fire protocol.
They will also be responsible for contacting the fire service and liaising with them once they arrive helping to reduce the risk of significant property damage or risk to human life.
Waking watch is an effective way of monitoring a building for signs of fire but employing marshals on site 24/7 is not cheap and for this reason, this approach is only ever recommended as a temporary measure.
If the removal of cladding is expected to take longer than 12 months, the NFCC suggests that to save residents from costly fire marshal services, waking watch is put in place only whilst a common integrated alarm system is put in place.
What are the benefits of an alarm system over waking watch?
Cost
One of the main reasons to make the switch from waking watch to an alarm system is that it is a much more cost-efficient measure.
A v-fire alarm system from v360 will quickly pay for itself in just a few months in the savings that residents will make by removing the need for a waking watch service.
It is estimated that by installing a fire alarm system, each resident in a high-rise apartment building will save between £116 and £499 per month following installation in comparison to the cost of waking watch.
In the years following the installation of a V-Fire wireless common fire alarm, the financial benefits will rise even further and residents can expect to save a whopping 82% compared to waking watch fire marshals.
Maximum Protection
Whilst waking watch marshals will conduct regular patrols of the entire property, they cannot be everywhere at once.
A fire alarm system on the other hand is constantly monitoring the entire building for designs of a fire, maximising the safety of residents and removing any chance of human error.
Of course, unlike waking watch, there is the potential for a technical problem with a fire alarm system, so it is essential that you have the system regularly checked by a professional fire and security firm and only install a proven and highly recommended system, such as the industry leading V-Fire alarm from V360.
Fast Installation
Unlike the lengthy process of having cladding replaced, an expert team of installers will have your entire fire alarm system in place in no time at all.
Thanks to the joys of wireless technology there will be no need for invasive cable installation or need to access cavity walls meaning that the process can be completed with very limited disruption for residents.
Decision time
Overall, waking watch is an effective safety measure to put in place on a temporary basis if your building is deemed a major fire risk.
However, it is estimated that the removal of the dangerous cladding will take a significant period of time. it is highly recommended that you have a common fire alarm system installed instead.
A V-fire system is just as, if not more, effective at detecting a fire as waking watch marshals, and will help save residents a huge sum of money in the months and years to come.