An Intelligent Alternative to Waking Watch
The devastating Grenfell Tower tragedy continues to have a lasting impact on communities across the UK. Many local authorities and private housing organisations have identified the presence of highly combustible cladding and insulation within their housing portfolios, rendering these assets non-compliant. The scope of work to replace all of the identified cladding is ongoing and expected to take years to rectify.
As a result, numerous residents in affected buildings face challenges securing insurance or mortgages due to the presence of dangerous cladding. To mitigate these issues, several solutions have been proposed, including the "Waking Watch" scheme. The Waking Watch was initially introduced to provide a short-term solution, but it has since faced criticism for its costs and effectiveness.
In response to these concerns, the government established the Waking Watch Replacement Fund to support the installation of common fire alarm systems in high-rise and high-risk residential buildings across England. The fund was initially launched in May 2023, providing £20.6 million in funding.
Recently, the government announced an extension to the Waking Watch Replacement Fund until March 2026, adding an additional £21.1 million to the fund. This brings the total available funding to £41.71 million. The extended fund aims to help buildings facing fire safety challenges replace costly and less efficient waking watch measures with safer and more effective alarm systems.
By adhering to British standard BS 5839-1, these systems will ensure better protection for residents and mitigate fire risks. With the extension of the Waking Watch Replacement Fund, there is now a greater opportunity to address the challenges posed by dangerous cladding and enhance fire safety in residential buildings across England.
Waking Watch: What is it?
In the aftermath of Grenfell, the National Fire Chiefs Council introduced the Waking Watch scheme as a temporary measure to ensure the safety of residents in buildings with dangerous cladding and insulation. The Waking Watch involves trained fire wardens monitoring the interior and exterior of affected buildings 24/7. These wardens are responsible for raising alarms in the event of a fire and assisting residents with safe evacuation.
Despite its initial intention as a short-term solution, hundreds of buildings across the UK still rely on 24-hour safety patrols, costing building owners tens of thousands of pounds per month. In many cases, these costs are passed on to leaseholders, adding to their financial burden.
In response to these concerns, the National Fire Chiefs Council published updated guidance in 2021, advising building owners to install common fire alarm systems as quickly as possible. This shift aims to reduce or remove the need for 24-hour warden patrols, providing a more efficient and cost-effective solution for ensuring fire safety in at-risk residential buildings.
With the ongoing cladding replacement work expected to take years, it is crucial for building owners to explore alternatives to the Waking Watch scheme. By transitioning to compliant fire alarm systems, such as those offered by Hochiki Europe, residential buildings can enhance their fire safety measures while adhering to British Standard BS 5839-1.
Government Funding
The UK government has demonstrated a continued commitment to addressing fire safety concerns in residential buildings by extending the Waking Watch Replacement Fund. Initially introduced in 2020 as the Waking Watch Relief Fund, it has since evolved into the Waking Watch Replacement Fund, providing financial assistance for installing common fire alarm systems in high-rise and high-risk buildings across England. In April 2025, the government announced a further extension of the fund to March 2026, unlocking an additional £21.11 million to help more buildings benefit from this scheme. The fund's expansion allows for the replacement of costly waking watch measures in residential buildings of all heights, improving fire safety standards and alleviating financial burdens for residents.
Local Authorities and Housing Associations
Advice issued to local authority chief executives and housing association chief executives by the Department for Communities and Local Government following the Grenfell disaster recommended a range of interim measures to protect residents within multi-storey housing with unsafe cladding issues. These were recommended by an independent panel of experts and included the provision of a temporary communal fire alarm system, to provide early detection of a fire condition:
"Provision of a temporary communal fire alarm system, comprising smoke detectors in circulation areas and plant rooms, and fire detectors (possibly heat detectors, rather than smoke detectors) in conjunction with fire alarm sounders in each flat. This will enable the entire block to be evacuated simultaneously in the event of fire… the system may comprise a wireless system, using radio to link devices" – National Fire Chiefs Council
What’s The Solution?
Waking Watch measures have long been a common response to fire safety concerns in residential buildings. However, they present significant challenges, including logistical difficulties and limited effectiveness. Fortunately, Hochiki Europe offers advanced fire detection and alarm systems, such as Latitude and Ekho, to provide a more reliable, efficient and sustainable solution.
Enhanced Fire Safety with Hochiki’s Advanced Technology
Hochiki’s products are specifically designed to improve fire safety in residential buildings through state-of-the-art technology and features:
- Precise and Accurate Smoke Detection – Hochiki’s products comply with all relevant sections of EN54, ensuring precise smoke detection while minimising false alarms. Early detection of fires gives residents crucial time to evacuate and notify authorities.
- Seamless Integration of Fire Detection and Alarm Systems - Hochiki's Latitude and Ekho systems combine fire detection and alarm components, providing comprehensive protection for buildings. Audible and visual alarms immediately alert residents in case of a fire.
- Flexible Wireless and Hybrid Solutions - Hochiki's Ekho system offers wireless and hybrid options, making it perfect for buildings where wired systems may be difficult or impractical to install. These versatile solutions enable efficient and cost-effective installations, minimising disruptions for residents.
- Transitioning from Waking Watch Measures - By installing Hochiki's advanced fire detection and alarm systems, residential buildings can transition away from the logistical challenges of waking watch measures to more dependable, long-term fire safety solutions.
- Accessing Funding for Fire Safety Solutions - As part of the government's initiative to address fire safety concerns, funding is available to eligible residential buildings. Contact Hochiki today to learn more about how you can access the Waking Watch Replacement Fund, enabling you to implement our cutting-edge fire safety systems in your building.
- Compliance With British Standard BS 5839-1 - Hochiki's Latitude and Ekho systems ensure adherence to British standard BS 5839-1, offering a practical and sustainable alternative to waking watch measures.
Intelligent Fire Detection vs Waking Watch
In the meantime, for all of those buildings that have yet to have their dangerous cladding removed, following the NFCC’s recommendations for installing fire detection system to replace a Waking Watch scheme will be the only viable short to medium-term solution.
According to a study by The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, the cost of employing one person/individual undertaking Waking Watch duties exceeds the average cost of installing an alarm system in 3 to 7 months, depending on the hourly rate charged. It should be noted that some buildings may require more than one Waking Watch individual to provide adequate interim fire safety measures.
Buildings Under 18 metres
On the lead up to the announcement that the Waking Watch Replacement Fund was being extended into 2022, Michael Gove, secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities gave the UK construction industry an ultimatum – financially contribute to the remediation work required by all of the buildings less than 18m high that still have dangerous cladding and/or exterior insulation or face a potential trading ban.
Mr Gove highlighted the fact that the three manufacturers most closely associated with the problem cladding made over £700m in profits over the last four years.
The Construction Products Association has said in response that it is willing to continue working closely with the Government to find the right solutions for the cladding crisis.
Cornerstone, a valued Hochiki systems partner, has a proven track record of successfully installing vital life-safety equipment in a variety of settings. As experts in fire safety, Cornerstone is well-positioned to work with Hochiki in delivering tailored solutions for residential buildings seeking to replace waking watch measures with advanced fire detection and alarm systems.
By partnering with Hochiki, Cornerstone ensures that their clients benefit from cutting-edge technology and state-of-the-art products, such as the Hochiki HFP range of devices. This collaboration has allowed Cornerstone to enhance fire safety for residents and provide peace of mind to building owners and managers.
As a trusted Hochiki installer, Cornerstone is committed to upholding the highest standards of quality, reliability, and efficiency. Together, Hochiki and Cornerstone are dedicated to staying at the forefront of the fire safety industry, continuously adapting to modern-day challenges to provide the most effective life safety solutions for residential buildings.
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"We have been using Hochiki products for well over a decade now. Not only do we trust them to work, but we also trust the devices to last.
Dan Smith, KM Security Solutions