A standpipe system will be out of service for two days. How long should there be a fire watch?

• A. 24 hours
• B. The entire time the standpipe is out of service
• C. Until testing completes
• D. Only during business hours

Answer: (B)

When a standpipe system is out of service, a fire watch is required for the entire duration of the outage. The standpipe provides a critical water source for firefighting, and once it’s offline, automatic protection on the affected floors isn’t available. A fire watch ensures trained personnel are continuously monitoring for fires, warning occupants, and coordinating with responders while the system is unavailable. This coverage must extend from the moment the outage begins and continue through any restoration and testing, ending only when the standpipe is back in service and verified to operate correctly. Shorter time frames or restricting the watch to specific hours would leave the building unprotected during the rest of the outage.