What does the Houston fire code require for a fire watch?

The code and who applies it

Houston’s fire code is the International Fire Code as adopted by city ordinance with local amendments, and the Houston Fire Marshal’s Office administers it. This site does not state a code edition year, because editions and amendments change and the office’s current text controls; the office or counsel can confirm which applies to a building today. Outside the city, Harris, Fort Bend and Montgomery county fire marshals and the smaller cities’ own officials apply their adoptions.

What section 901.7 requires

Where a required fire protection system, sprinklers, alarm, standpipe, fire pump, is out of service, the fire department and the fire code official are notified immediately. The building owner designates an impairment coordinator. Impaired equipment is tagged. Where the fire code official requires it, the building is evacuated or an approved fire watch is provided until the system is restored. The official decides what “approved” means for the building: who may perform the watch, the interval, the alarm method and the log.

Hot work

Hot work is governed separately: OSHA’s 29 CFR 1910.252(a)(2)(iii) requires a fire watch where combustibles are within 35 feet of welding or cutting or exposed through openings, maintained at least 30 minutes after the work ends, and NFPA 51B, which the fire code and most permits reference, requires at least an hour. The Houston fire code’s hot work provisions and the site’s permit system apply on top of those.

What to do when a system goes down

Notify the fire department and the fire marshal. Name the coordinator. Tag the equipment. Ask the marshal what is required and follow it. Start the watch, keep it continuous and log every round. Notify again when the system is restored. This is a summary for planning rather than legal advice; the IFC 901.7 article goes through the section in detail, and the fire watch services page explains how Price Protection staffs the watch on short notice.