Waking Watch vs. Fire Alarm: Which Does Your Building Need?

Waking Watch vs. Fire Alarm: Which Does Your Building Need?

If your building has been identified as having unsafe cladding or an inadequate fire alarm system, you may already be paying for a waking watch, or facing the prospect of implementing one. For many building owners and residents, the costs are staggering and unsustainable. The good news is that a permanent fire alarm system can often replace a waking watch entirely, saving tens of thousands of pounds every month.

This guide breaks down when a waking watch is required, what it costs, how a fire alarm upgrade can serve as a waking watch alternative, and how to access government funding to make the transition.

What Is a Waking Watch and When Is It Required?

A waking watch is a temporary fire safety measure where trained personnel patrol a building continuously, typically 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to detect fire and raise the alarm manually. Their role is to ensure that residents can evacuate safely in the event of a fire, compensating for deficiencies in the building's passive or active fire protection.

Common Reasons a Waking Watch Is Imposed

A waking watch is typically required when a fire risk assessment identifies that:

• Unsafe cladding has been found on the building's exterior, increasing the risk of rapid external fire spread. This became a widespread concern following the Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017.

• The existing fire alarm system is inadequate for the building's current risk profile. Many residential blocks were designed with a "stay put" evacuation strategy supported by compartmentation. When cladding defects compromise that compartmentation, a simultaneous evacuation strategy may be needed, and the existing alarm system may not support it.

• Interim measures are needed while cladding remediation or fire alarm installation works are planned and carried out.

The requirement usually comes from the local fire and rescue service, the building's fire risk assessor, or as a condition of an EWS1 (External Wall System) assessment.

The Enormous Cost of Waking Watch

Waking watch fire safety patrols are extraordinarily expensive. Because they require round-the-clock staffing by trained fire wardens, the costs accumulate rapidly.

Typical Waking Watch Cost by Building Size

These costs are typically passed on to leaseholders through service charges, creating severe financial hardship. Some residents have reported waking watch bills exceeding £500 per month on top of their existing service charges and mortgage payments. In many cases, buildings have been paying for a waking watch for years while awaiting cladding remediation, with total costs running into the millions.

Why Waking Watch Costs Are So High

• 24/7 staffing requires multiple shifts of trained personnel.

• Security industry wages and the specialist nature of the role drive labour costs.

• Management overheads from the waking watch provider add further expense.

• No economies of scale, each building requires its own dedicated team.

The financial burden has been widely recognised as unsustainable, which is precisely why the government introduced funding to help buildings transition to permanent fire alarm systems.

How a Fire Alarm System Can Replace Waking Watch

A properly specified and installed fire alarm system can eliminate the need for a waking watch entirely. The key is ensuring the alarm system supports the building's required evacuation strategy.

Understanding Evacuation Strategies

• Stay put: Residents in unaffected flats remain in place while the fire service tackles the blaze. This relies on effective compartmentation between flats and common areas.

• Simultaneous evacuation: All residents evacuate the building when the alarm sounds. This is typically required when compartmentation has been compromised, for example, by unsafe cladding.

When a building transitions from stay put to simultaneous evacuation, the fire alarm system must be capable of alerting every flat simultaneously. This usually means installing a common fire alarm system throughout the building.

Fire Alarm Grades for Waking Watch Replacement

The two most commonly specified grades for residential buildings replacing a waking watch are:

• LD2 (Category L2): Provides detection in common areas, escape routes, and rooms that open onto escape routes. This is often sufficient for buildings where the primary risk is in common areas and corridors.

• L1 (Category L1): Provides detection throughout the entire building, including within individual flats. This offers the highest level of protection and is increasingly specified for buildings with significant cladding concerns.

Both grades are defined in BS 5839-1 (the British Standard for fire detection and alarm systems in buildings) and BS 5839-6 (for dwellings). A competent fire alarm engineer will specify the appropriate grade based on your building's fire risk assessment.

The Transition Process

1. Fire risk assessment review: A qualified fire risk assessor evaluates the building and recommends the appropriate evacuation strategy and alarm specification.

2. System design: A fire alarm engineer designs the system to meet the required British Standard grade.

3. Installation: The alarm system is installed throughout the building. In occupied buildings, this requires careful coordination with residents.

4. Commissioning and handover: The system is tested, commissioned, and handed over with full documentation.

5. Waking watch cessation: Once the fire authority or fire risk assessor confirms the alarm system is operational and adequate, the waking watch can be stood down.

The entire process, from design to waking watch cessation, typically takes 8 to 16 weeks, depending on the building's size and complexity.

The Waking Watch Replacement Fund

The UK Government established the Waking Watch Replacement Fund to help leaseholders in buildings with unsafe cladding replace costly waking watch patrols with permanent fire alarm systems.

Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for the fund, a building must:

• Be a residential building in England.

• Be over 17.7 metres (approximately 6 storeys) in height. Note: some local authority funds cover buildings below this threshold.

• Have unsafe cladding that has led to the imposition of a waking watch or simultaneous evacuation strategy.

• Currently have a waking watch in operation or have a simultaneous evacuation strategy in place that requires an alarm system upgrade.

How to Apply

Applications are made through the relevant local authority or, in some cases, directly through the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), now the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The process typically involves:

1. Submitting evidence of the current waking watch arrangement and costs.

2. Providing a fire risk assessment confirming the need for alarm replacement.

3. Obtaining quotes for the fire alarm installation from qualified contractors.

4. The fund covers the cost of installing the alarm system, effectively eliminating the ongoing waking watch expense.

Building owners and managing agents should check the latest guidance on GOV.UK, as eligibility criteria and application windows may be updated.

Real Cost Comparison: Waking Watch vs. Fire Alarm Installation

Consider a mid-rise residential block of 80 flats currently paying £20,000 per month for a waking watch.

The maths is unambiguous. A fire alarm installation typically pays for itself within two to four months compared to ongoing waking watch costs. Even without government funding, the financial case for replacing a waking watch with a permanent alarm system is overwhelming.

For buildings that have been paying for a waking watch for two or more years, the cumulative cost can exceed half a million pounds, money that could have funded not only the alarm installation but contributed significantly towards cladding remediation works.

How This Connects to EWS1 Assessments and Cladding Remediation

The waking watch question is closely linked to the broader cladding crisis and EWS1 process.

An EWS1 form (External Wall Fire Review) is used to assess the fire risk posed by a building's external wall system. Where the assessment identifies risk, particularly an EWS1 rating of B2 (remediation required), the building may need interim fire safety measures, including a waking watch, while remediation is planned.

Replacing the waking watch with a fire alarm system does not remove the need for cladding remediation. It is an interim measure that reduces ongoing costs while the longer-term remediation programme is delivered. However, having a permanent alarm system in place can improve the building's overall fire safety posture and may positively influence insurance premiums and mortgage lending decisions.

Who Can Advise on the Right Approach?

Determining whether your building needs a waking watch, a fire alarm upgrade, or both requires specialist fire safety advice. The key professionals involved are:

• Fire risk assessors, to evaluate the building's current risk profile and recommend the appropriate evacuation strategy.

• Fire alarm engineers, to design and install the replacement alarm system to the correct British Standard.

• Fire safety consultants, to provide strategic advice on the overall remediation programme, including how waking watch replacement fits into the wider plan.

• Building safety managers, for higher-risk buildings under the Building Safety Act 2022, the accountable person may need to coordinate these activities.

Take Action to Reduce Your Building's Fire Safety Costs

Whether you need a waking watch assessment or a fire alarm upgrade to replace one, post your requirement on Infirisk and get competitive proposals from qualified fire safety firms. Our marketplace connects building owners and managers with vetted fire safety professionals across the UK, helping you find the right expertise at a fair price, and end the cycle of unsustainable waking watch costs.