New Brunswick Fire Watch Course: Lessons 2026

Lesson 1: Who makes the fire rules in New Brunswick

New Brunswick's main fire safety law is the Fire Prevention Act. Under it, the Fire Prevention and Inspection Regulation (Regulation 82-20) adopts the National Fire Code of Canada 2020. The Office of the Fire Marshal's Bulletin 2025-01 says these changes took effect on May 1, 2025.

Who enforces the rules

Who	Role under the Fire Prevention Act
Fire marshal	Has full power to enforce fire laws in the province (s. 4) and leads the Office of the Fire Marshal
Deputy fire marshal, fire prevention officers, fire investigators	Appointed by the fire marshal, with the Minister's approval, to inspect, investigate and enforce (s. 2)
Local assistants	A fire chief or other fire department member appointed by the fire marshal for their local area (s. 6(1)); the fire marshal may also appoint other people (s. 6(2))

The fire marshal, deputy fire marshal, a fire prevention officer or a local assistant may inspect any building at reasonable hours (s. 11). They may order an owner or occupant to fix hazards (s. 12). Failing to obey an order is an offence (s. 24).

Offences a guard should know

Tampering with exit doors, extinguishers, sprinklers, smoke or fire detection, or fire alarm systems without written authorization is an offence, except for maintenance and repairs (s. 23(a.1)).
Blocking an exit or an access to an exit, or removing an exit stair or fire escape, without written authorization is an offence (s. 23(a.2)).
Hindering or obstructing a fire official is an offence (s. 23(a)).

Lesson 2: When a fire watch is needed

The Office of the Fire Marshal publishes short Fire Technotes that explain how it applies the code. Three of them deal with fire watch.

Technote	Situation	Rule
2006-09R Fire Watch	Sprinkler or fire alarm system being modified or renovated	A dedicated, 24 hour per day fire watch
2006-07R Fire alarm work	During the alarm contractor's work day	No fire watch if the affected area is constantly occupied by the contractor's staff, and any sprinkler system stays fully working and monitored by the alarm
2006-07R Fire alarm work	Alarm still not fully working at the end of the work day	A dedicated fire watch
2006-08R Sprinkler work	During the sprinkler contractor's work day	No fire watch if the affected area is occupied by the contractor's staff at all times and the fire alarm works throughout the building, including the work area
2006-08R Sprinkler work	Sprinklers still not fully working after the work day	A dedicated fire watch

In plain words: during the day, the contractor's own staff can act as the eyes in the work area, but only if the other system is fully working. When they leave and the system is still down, someone must take over. That is often a security guard.

A fire watch is a temporary measure. It does not fix the system. The owner must still have the system repaired and put back in service.

Lesson 3: Doing the fire watch

Technote 2006-09R sets out what the fire watch person must do and have. Use it as your checklist.

Be one or more persons whose only job is the fire watch. Do not take on other tasks.
Have a means to immediately contact 911, such as a charged phone or radio with a dispatcher.
Have a way to reach the occupants, and be responsible for notifying them if there is a fire.
Know the construction fire safety plan and understand your role in it.
Be trained in the use of a fire extinguisher.
Patrol the areas where the alarm or sprinklers are not working on an hourly basis.

Learn where every extinguisher on your route is before your first round.

What to look for on each round

Smoke, burning smells, heat or unusual sounds
Blocked or locked exits and fire doors wedged open
Hot work, smoking or open flames where they are not allowed
Rubbish or other combustibles piled near heat sources
Damaged or covered detectors and missing extinguishers

Exits and the routes to them must stay clear at all times.

Lesson 4: The sign-off sheet

Technote 2006-09R says every patrol must be recorded on a sign-off sheet that shows the patrol was done and the time. The sheet is the proof that the building was watched.

Each entry should show

The date and the time the round was done
The area or floor you checked
What you found, such as "all clear", or a hazard and what you did about it
Your initials or signature

A good log entry has the same basic parts as a notebook entry.

The date.
The time of the round.
The area or floor checked.
What you saw and did.
Your initials or signature.

Write each entry right after the round. If you miss a round, for example because you were helping an injured person, write down what really happened and the real time. Never fill in a round you did not do.

Lesson 5: Hot work fire watch

Hot work is welding, cutting and similar work that makes sparks or flames. The Office of the Fire Marshal's hot work Bulletin 2001-16 sets these rules, based on the National Fire Code and CSA W177.2:

Only people trained in the safe use of the equipment may do hot work.
Keep a fire watch during the hot work and for 60 minutes after it is completed.
Inspect the area 4 hours after the work is finished.
Protect combustible and flammable materials within 15 m if they cannot be removed.
Cover holes in nearby walls, floors and ceilings, and wet down combustibles that cannot be moved or protected.
Keep at least one portable fire extinguisher in the hot work area.
No activity that creates flammable gases, vapours, dusts or fibres may take place in the hot work area.

Sparks can fall through cracks and smoulder for a long time. That is why the watch continues after the welder leaves.

Keep smoking and other ignition sources away from areas where flammable materials are stored.

Lesson 6: If you find fire, and ending the watch

When the alarm is out of service, you are the alarm. Act in this order:

Warn the occupants using the method in the fire safety plan.
Call 911 from a safe place. Give the address, what you see and where.
Use an extinguisher only if the fire is small, you are trained and it is safe. Otherwise close the door and leave.
Help people leave, especially those who need help.
Meet the fire department and tell them what you know.

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

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

Ending the watch

End the watch only when your supervisor confirms the system is fully working again. Record the end time and hand in the sign-off sheet as your site instructs.