Ontario Fire Watch Course: Lessons 2026

Lesson 1: The Ontario Fire Code and who enforces it

The Ontario Fire Code is O. Reg. 213/07, a regulation made under the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997 (FPPA). It applies across Ontario and sets minimum fire safety rules for existing buildings and facilities. Ontario updates it to match the National Fire Code of Canada as far as possible.

Who	Role
Building owner	Responsible for following the Fire Code, unless the Code says otherwise (Division A, Article 1.2.1.1).
Municipal fire department	Does most local enforcement. Fire inspectors inspect buildings and can issue orders, tickets and charges.
Chief Fire Official	The local fire official who reviews and approves fire safety plans.
Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM)	Administers the FPPA and the Fire Code, advises fire departments and investigates fires.

Under section 21 of the FPPA, fire inspectors can inspect premises and issue orders to an owner or occupant to fix a problem. As a guard on a fire watch, you work for the owner or their contractor, so the owner's duties under the Code become part of your post orders.

Lesson 2: When a system is shut down

Fire alarm and sprinkler systems must be kept working. The Fire Code expects owners to plan ahead for the times when they are not. Windsor Fire & Rescue Services summarizes these Fire Code rules for owners:

Division B, Article 1.1.1.1: when sprinklers, standpipes or other fire protection systems are tested, repaired or changed, there must be a procedure to notify the fire department and the occupants.
Clause 2.8.2.1(1)(h): the fire safety plan must include alternative measures for occupant safety during any shutdown of fire protection equipment or systems.
Sentence 2.8.2.5(3): if the fire alarm does not send a signal to the fire department, a lasting notice must be posted near each manual pull station telling occupants to call the fire department, with the emergency number.

Windsor's fire watch duties: an Ontario example

Windsor's fire watch duties say that if a fire alarm or sprinkler system is off-line for any reason, the owner must start a fire watch immediately. A fire watch is a short-term measure that lets people stay in the building while repairs are made quickly. Windsor also asks that:

The fire department is called and told which system is off-line and that a fire watch is in place.
Any outside monitoring company is told too.
If the system stays off-line more than one day, the fire department gets a status call every day.
Occupants are told in writing that systems are out and a fire watch is in place.
Signs in common areas show which system is out and how to evacuate.

If the alarm is not monitored, a notice near each pull station must tell occupants to call the fire department.

Lesson 3: Fire safety plans

Section 2.8 of Division B requires a fire safety plan for many buildings. Article 2.8.1.1 lists which buildings need one. Windsor Fire & Rescue notes that this covers many properties and businesses, so expect a plan at most sites where you do a fire watch.

Fire Code rule	What it says
Approval	The Chief Fire Official reviews and approves the plan.
2.8.2.1(3)	The plan is kept in the building at an approved location.
2.8.2.1(4)	The plan is reviewed at least every 12 months, or sooner when things change.
2.8.1.2(1)	Supervisory staff are trained in fire emergency procedures before they get fire safety duties.
2.8.2.4	Every supervisory staff member gets a copy of the emergency procedures and their duties.
2.8.2.5(1)	At least one copy of the emergency procedures is posted on each floor.
2.8.3.2	Supervisory staff fire drills at least every 12 months, and every 3 months in high buildings.

Windsor's fire safety plan checklist asks the plan to cover shutdowns in detail: notifying the fire department and monitoring company before and after a shutdown, fire watch intervals and locations, and a signed fire watch log book.

Lesson 4: Rounds, equipment and the log

Ontario fire departments and building owners set the patrol schedule. Two Ontario examples:

Source	Rounds	Staffing
Windsor Fire & Rescue fire watch duties	Tour the entire building every hour	At least one qualified person whenever the building is occupied; may be occupants, employees or contracted security guards
City of London long-term care fire watch policy	Check all unprotected areas once every hour	At least one person, 24 hours a day, until the system is fully back

Equipment Windsor lists

A phone or radio
A portable air horn, whistle or other approved alarm device
A flashlight, clipboard and pen
The fire watch duties and log sheet
Keys or access codes for all rooms
Floor plans and a list of occupants who need help to evacuate
A fire extinguisher close by, and training to use it

On every round, check that exits and corridors are clear and that doors work. Record each completed round on the fire watch log with the time, and sign or initial it. Never fill in a round you did not do.

Other Fire Code checks you may see

Owners also log routine checks. Windsor's summary lists daily checks of exit lights (2.7.3.2) and of the fire alarm power lamp (6.3.2.1), and a monthly inspection of every portable fire extinguisher (6.2.7.2).

Lesson 5: Finding fire, hot work and ending the watch

If you find fire or smoke, Windsor's duties set out these steps:

Call 911 from a safe location.
Sound your air horn, whistle or other approved device to warn occupants.
Try to put out the fire only if it is safe.
After the evacuation, wait at a safe spot and direct firefighters to the fire.
Do not go back in without the fire department's permission.

The general flow of an evacuation that a fire watch guard helps start.

Raise the alarm and warn everyone in the building.
Help people who need assistance to leave.
Leave by the nearest safe exit.
Gather at the assembly point.
Count people and report to the fire department.

Hot work

Windsor's duties say hot work, such as welding or cutting, is not allowed where sprinkler protection is impaired unless approved precautions are in place. The Fire Code also has rules for welding and cutting; Windsor's summary lists a daily check of torches, regulators and welding equipment for defects (5.17.2.6). Follow the site's hot work permit and ask your supervisor before any hot work starts near your route.

Ending the watch

The watch ends only when the system is confirmed fully working. The monitoring company is asked to reconnect it, and the fire department is told the watch is over. In London's policy, the service company confirms the repair to the chief warden, who then ends the watch. Record the end time and hand in your log.