When Your Fire System Is Out of Service: Impairments and Fire Watch

Sometimes a fire protection system has to come out of service: a repair, a renovation, a freeze break or a discharged sprinkler. NFPA 25 and the fire code call this an impairment, and they set out steps to keep people safe while the system is down.

Before a planned shutdown

• Name an impairment coordinator — usually the facility manager.
• Notify your fire department or fire marshal, your alarm monitoring company and your insurer.
• Tag the impaired system so everyone knows it’s out of service.
• Have parts and crews ready before you start, to keep the downtime short.

When a fire watch is required

If a sprinkler system will be out of service for more than 10 hours in a 24-hour period, or a fire alarm system for more than 4 hours, the fire code generally requires a fire watch — trained people patrolling the affected area to spot a fire and raise the alarm — or evacuation of the area. Your fire marshal may set different conditions, so ask when you notify them.

After an accidental discharge

• Close the control valve for the affected zone only if it’s safe to do so, then call us immediately.
• Don’t replace the sprinkler yourself — it must match the original type, response and temperature rating.
• Once the system is restored, test it and let everyone you notified know it’s back in service.