24/7 trained officers
Fire-trained, fire-marshal certified officers on-site continuously — no gaps, no shortcuts.
Ashridge Security · Fire-safety service
Waking Watch Service and Fire Safety Cover
Trained officers conducting continuous fire-watch patrols when active fire-safety systems are offline or compromised. Deployed at short notice across the UK.
What you get
How Ashridge waking-watch works.
Compliant with FSO 2005
Cover meets the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and supports fire-authority notices.
Documented patrols
Every round logged with time, location and observations — auditable record for risk assessors and authorities.
Rapid deployment
Mobilisation typically within 24 hours of instruction, often same-day for emergency cover.
In detail
What is a waking watch?
A waking watch is a team of trained officers who patrol a building continuously to detect fire early and alert everyone inside. It is an interim fire-safety measure used when a building’s passive or active fire protection is not fully reliable, for example where cladding or compartmentation defects have been found or a fire alarm is out of service. Patrols run around the clock until the underlying problem is fixed.
When do you need a waking watch?
You need a waking watch when a fire risk assessment, a fire engineer or the local fire and rescue authority decides a building cannot safely rely on its existing fire-safety systems. Common triggers include unsafe cladding or missing fire breaks identified after Grenfell, a “simultaneous evacuation” strategy replacing “stay put”, a fire-detection system that has failed or been taken offline, and hot works or other higher-risk activity on a construction site.
In residential blocks the requirement usually sits with the responsible person under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and the Building Safety Act 2022. We work to National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) guidance and support any notice issued by your fire authority.
How much does a waking watch cost?
The cost of a waking watch depends on how many officers the building needs, how often the fire risk assessment requires patrols, the hours of cover (usually 24 hours a day, every day) and how long the measure has to run. Because it is charged by staffed hours, a waking watch is expensive to maintain over months, which is exactly why fire authorities and the NFCC treat it as a short-term measure and encourage moving to a common fire alarm as soon as it is practical.
Where a building qualifies, the government’s Waking Watch Replacement Fund can pay for a common alarm to be installed, removing the ongoing waking-watch cost. We give a clear per-site quote after a short assessment, and where it helps we advise on the transition from a waking watch to an alarm so you are not paying for staffed cover longer than you need to.
How Ashridge delivers a waking watch
We start with a short site assessment to confirm the patrol routes, frequency and number of officers your fire strategy requires. We then deploy fire-trained, fire-marshal certified, SIA-licensed officers who patrol continuously, check fire doors, escape routes and high-risk areas, and raise the alarm and assist evacuation if a fire is found.
Every round is logged with time, location and observations, giving fire risk assessors and your fire authority an auditable record. Our 24/7 control room supports each site, and where a common alarm is being installed we help manage the handover so cover is never interrupted.
Buildings and sectors we cover
We provide waking watch across high-rise and medium-rise residential blocks, student and key-worker accommodation, mixed-use developments, care and supported-living settings, and construction and refurbishment sites. Cover is available nationwide from our Buckinghamshire base, including London and the major cities where cladding-affected buildings are concentrated. You can see the areas we cover or read plain-English definitions in our security and fire-safety glossary.
Further reading on waking watch
- Waking watch requirements: a guide for property managers and developers
- What is a waking watch? A plain-English explainer
- Waking watch cost vs risk
Frequently asked questions
A waking watch is a team of trained officers who patrol a building continuously to detect fire early and alert occupants. It is used as an interim measure when a building's fire-safety systems or compartmentation cannot be fully relied on, and runs until the underlying defect is resolved.
Cost depends on the number of officers, the patrol frequency set by the fire risk assessment, the hours of cover and how long the measure runs. Because it is charged by staffed hours it is costly over time, so it is treated as a short-term measure. We provide a clear per-site quote after a short assessment.
A waking watch is required when a fire risk assessment, fire engineer or fire and rescue authority decides a building cannot safely rely on its existing fire protection, for example after cladding or compartmentation defects are found, or while a fire alarm is offline. The duty sits with the responsible person under the Fire Safety Order 2005 and the Building Safety Act 2022.
We typically mobilise within 24 hours of instruction, and often the same day for emergency cover, through our 24/7 control room on 0800 085 5022.
Yes. Our waking-watch officers are SIA-licensed, BS 7858 vetted and fire-trained to fire-marshal standard. Ashridge Group is an SIA Approved Contractor certified to ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001.
Yes, and it usually should. The National Fire Chiefs Council recommends moving from a waking watch to a common fire alarm as soon as practical, and the government's Waking Watch Replacement Fund can pay for alarm installation in eligible buildings. We can advise on and manage the transition.
Urgent requirement?
We mobilise cover at short notice.
Same-day deployment for emergency fire-safety cover. Call us directly or send your site details and we’ll respond fast.