Waking watch services (24-hour fire patrols), introduced after the Grenfell Tower fire by the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), have cost leaseholders thousands of pounds.


The introduction of waking watches accompanied a change in NFCC guidance regarding the evacuation strategy in the event of a fire, from ‘stay put’ to ‘simultaneous evacuation’. They were intended as a temporary security measure for residents of high-rise buildings with unsafe cladding systems until remediation work could be completed.

However, many buildings were left with a waking watch service in place for years, with leaseholders forced to pay thousands of pounds each for this service.

Waking Watch Relief Fund

In December 2020, the Government has announced a new £30 million Waking Watch Relief Fund to help pay for the installation of fire alarms and remove the need for a Waking Watch. This was in line with the most recent NFCC Guidance (October 2020), which emphasised the need to consider the installation of common fire alarms where interim measures were in place, or were likely to be for the longer term.

Applications for the Waking Watch Relief Fund closed on 10 December 2021

In January 2022 the Government launched a further £27 million Waking Watch Replacement Fund.

Applications for the Waking Watch Replacement Fund closed on 28 March 2022.

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