What Must a Fire Emergency Plan Include?
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires the responsible person to establish appropriate emergency procedures and to ensure that all relevant persons are informed of and trained in those procedures. BS 9999 provides detailed guidance on what a fire emergency plan should contain. At minimum, the plan should cover:
- How the fire alarm will be raised and which call points are used for first-stage and general alarms
- The designated evacuation routes from every part of the building, including primary and alternative routes
- The location of the assembly point(s) and the procedure for accounting for all occupants on arrival
- The roles and responsibilities of fire wardens — which areas they are responsible for, how they carry out sweeps, and how they report to the incident controller
- Arrangements for persons who may need assistance to evacuate — including Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) and refuge points
- The procedure for calling the fire and rescue service — who calls, from where, and what information to provide
- Actions staff should take on discovering a fire (raise alarm, call 999, do not delay evacuation)
- Post-evacuation procedure — who makes the all-clear decision, when re-entry is permitted
Who Needs a Fire Emergency Plan?
All non-domestic premises subject to the RRO need documented emergency procedures. For premises with five or more employees, these must be in writing. Best practice — and the expectation of fire risk assessors working to PAS 79-1 — is to produce a written plan for all non-domestic premises regardless of size. The plan should be specific to the building — generic templates alone are not sufficient.
Communicating and Testing the Plan
A fire emergency plan is only effective if every person in the building knows it. The responsible person must:
- Brief all new employees on the fire emergency plan as part of their induction
- Display fire action notices at call points and on escape routes — summarising the key actions
- Ensure fire wardens receive specific training covering their individual roles within the plan
- Test the plan through regular fire drills — at least annually (more frequently for high-risk or high-turnover premises)
- Update the plan whenever the building layout, occupancy, or fire safety systems change
Linking the Plan to PEEPs
Any person in the building who may not be able to evacuate independently — including people with mobility impairments, visual or hearing impairments, cognitive disabilities, or temporary injuries — must have a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) that is integrated into the fire emergency plan. PEEPs identify the assistance required, who will provide it, and any specialist equipment (such as evacuation chairs) that should be available on escape routes or at refuge areas.
