What is Waking Watch - Smart Watch Security - Leading Fire Security

Why Waking Watch Still Matters?  

Since the Grenfell Tower tragedy, waking watch patrols have remained a crucial interim safeguard for residents living in buildings with combustible cladding or other serious fire-safety defects. Daily headlines about stalled remediation and rising service-charge bills keep the subject in the public eye, and fire statistics for 2022/23 show 178,737 incidents attended in England—a 17 % jump on the previous year, with 42 deaths in purpose-built flats alone. 

What Is Waking Watch?  

A waking watch is a 24/7 team of trained wardens who continuously patrol every floor and common area of a building. Their job is to spot a fire in its earliest stages, raise the alarm, help residents evacuate and liaise with the fire-and-rescue service. Duties range from checking fire doors and risers to monitoring alarm panels and assisting vulnerable occupants during an evacuation drill.

From Grenfell to Today: How the System Evolved  

- June 2017 – Immediate response: ad-hoc waking watches  introduced as fire security measure nationwide after Grenfell.  

- December 2020 – £30 m Waking Watch Relief Fund: government cash to install common-area alarms and relieve leaseholders.

- October 2021 – NFCC Simultaneous Evacuation Guidance (3rd edition): urged building owners to replace prolonged waking watches with alarms “as soon as practicable”.  

- May 2023 – £18.6 m Waking Watch Replacement Fund: widened support to all residential blocks with a waking watch, whatever their height. ([Waking Watch Replacement Fund 2023 - full fund application guidance]

- Building Safety Act 2022: shifted most costs from leaseholders to the “Responsible Person” (usually the freeholder or managing agent). ([Waking Watch Replacement Fund 2023 - full fund application guidance]

The Price Tag—and Why Everyone Talks About It  

Government monitoring shows the mean cost of a waking watch is £169-£216 per flat, per month, with some outliers far higher. Where alarms were fitted using the 2023 fund, leaseholders saved an average £172 per month. ([Building Safety Programme Monthly Data Release, England: 31 July 2023]Those numbers explain why regulators and residents alike now see a waking watch as a strictly short-term measure.  

Technology v. Manpower: The NFCC’s Current Stance  

The fourth-edition NFCC guidance (2022) “actively discourages the ongoing and prolonged use of a waking watch” and asks duty-holders to justify any staffing solution that lasts more than a few months. A common-area fire-detection system—ideally BS 5839-1 Category L5—remains the preferred alternative. ([Simultaneous Evacuation (High-rise) - NFCC]

When You Still Need Human Eyes  

Despite that push toward automation, there are scenarios where only a live patrol is acceptable:  

- Alarm or compartmentation failures that cannot be fixed immediately.  

- High-rise evacuation strategies still transitioning from “stay put” to “simultaneous”.  

- Buildings awaiting cladding removal where hot-works or scaffolding elevate risk.  

In these cases, choosing a competent waking watch provider is essential.  

Choosing the Right Waking Watch Provider  

Look for:  

1. SIA-licensed, fire-trained staff with documented drills.  

2. Rapid mobilisation—minutes, not days, when an Alarm Receiving Centre flags a fault.  

3. Transparent costings tied to risk-assessment milestones so charges fall as risk reduces.  

4. Integrated tech (body-worn cameras, digital patrol logs, two-way radio linked to ARC).  

5. Evidence of collaboration with local fire-and-rescue services.  

Spotlight on Smart Watch Security Ltd  

Many agents now point to Smart Watch Security Ltd as a leading waking watch provider for precisely these reasons. The company’s 24-hour control room can deploy accredited fire wardens nationwide within four hours, and its hybrid model—human patrols backed by temporary wireless alarms—meets NFCC guidance while slashing costs for residents. If your building is racing the clock on remediation, Smart Watch Security Ltd’s audited hand-over process (alarm install → reduced patrol → alarm-only) provides a clear exit strategy from expensive round-the-clock staffing.  

Funding and Future Trends  

With £29.7 m already approved across the Relief and Replacement funds and more Building Safety Act secondary legislation due in late 2025, industry insiders expect grant schemes to keep nudging owners toward technology-first solutions. 

Smart Watch Security is investing heavily in training professional waking watch operatives who are first line of defense in any waking watch regime.

Final Thoughts  

A waking watch should never be a permanent fixture, but when short-term human vigilance is the only safe option, picking a proven, professional waking watch provider really does save lives—and, with firms like Smart Watch Security Ltd setting the benchmark, it can save money too.