If a standpipe system will be out of service for 2 days, how long should a fire watch be in place?

When a standpipe system is out of service, it is crucial to maintain a fire watch for the duration of the outage. Standpipe systems are essential for providing firefighters with a reliable means to access water during a fire emergency. If such a system is non-operational, the risk of fire spreading or becoming uncontrollable increases significantly. Therefore, a continuous fire watch ensures that immediate action can be taken if a fire occurs while the standpipe system is down.

This watch involves having individuals trained to act in case of a fire, alert the fire department, and deploy fire suppression methods until the system is restored. Keeping a fire watch only during specific hours or only for a portion of the time would leave gaps in fire safety protocol, which is not acceptable given the potential dangers associated with a malfunctioning fire protection system. Hence, the correct approach is to have a fire watch in place through the entire duration the standpipe is out of service.