The call
Lightning struck the property. The fire alarm panel was red-tagged and the building was put on firewatch — meaning a person on shift, on site, around the clock until the alarm system is back to normal. Every hour in firewatch is a billable hour for the property owner.
The fix
We documented the damage (the panel was visibly fried; the standby batteries had taken a direct surge), wrote the replacement scope, and pulled the permits with the City of Arlington. The new panel was installed, programmed, and tested. The fire marshal walked it. Systems all normal. Property out of firewatch.
The outcome
Closing out firewatch as fast as possible is the only KPI that matters on a job like this. The replacement panel was fully permitted and documented, the AHJ signed off, and the owner’s standby-officer cost stopped accruing the day the system came back online.
