By
in
Anyone involved in construction should be abreast of fire codes, from occupancy limits to hazardous waste disposal to installing fans on industrial ovens. A builder will usually outsource fire code adherence to experts, because, for one, the documentation is exhaustive. New York State, for example, has a 45-chapter fire codes document; Los Angeles’s is 80 chapters. And that’s without all of the Addendums. The point is you need an expert to weed through all of the fire codes applicable for your building, and a professional construction team to implement the directives in order that you remain above board. And while the actual construction is planned according to fire codes, a builder must also maintain guards to watch over the site during and after construction.
Enter the private fire guard. This is a security guard who has additional training and certification as a fire guard, meaning he or she is keen on the lookout for potential fire hazards. Statutes vary per locale – here are a few examples from New York City regarding when an FDNY-certified fire guard has been required in the past:
- High-rise office buildings with 500 occupants in the entire building, or 100 occupants above the 1st floor.
- Construction sites with no fire-protection system put in place.
- Off duty evening times for construction, demolition, and alteration sites.
- Assigned per area. For example, 1 fireguard is required per 10,000 square feet for street-facing buildings, or if the building height exceeds 75 feet.
- Theater events, monitoring occupant traffic.
In addition to state and city fire safety code requirements, insurance companies can also require a certain level of certified fire safety construction and ongoing monitoring. Therefore, in order to stay in line with fire safety requirements – both legally and for insurance purposes – hiring a private security guard with fire guard certification is your best bet.
