Article 15
What must an emergency plan achieve?
The Fire Safety Order requires procedures for serious and imminent danger, including fire, and enough competent people to help implement evacuation procedures. The plan should enable people to reach safety, call the fire and rescue service, account for foreseeable conditions and manage re-entry.
The level of detail should be proportionate. Shared buildings require cooperation so that alarms, routes, assembly arrangements and responsibilities do not conflict.
- How an alarm is raised and what different signals mean
- Who calls the fire and rescue service and supplies information
- Routes, exits and any areas that must not be used
- Assistance for people who cannot self-evacuate
- Shutdowns or safety tasks that can be completed without delaying escape
- Assembly, accountability, liaison and controlled re-entry
Building-specific choice
Simultaneous, phased, progressive and stay-put strategies
The correct strategy is determined by the building design, occupants and risk assessment. It should not be changed casually because alarm operation, compartmentation, staffing and escape capacity may have been designed around it.
Simultaneous evacuation
Everyone responds and leaves together; common in workplaces and many public premises.
Phased evacuation
Selected floors or zones evacuate in a controlled sequence, often in suitably designed high-rise buildings.
Progressive horizontal evacuation
People move to a fire-resisting compartment on the same level before further movement; used where immediate vertical escape is difficult, such as some care settings.
Stay put
In suitable purpose-built blocks, residents not affected by fire may remain in their flats while the fire service deals with the incident; anyone affected should leave if able.
Inclusive evacuation
Plan for vulnerable people, visitors and changing occupancy
The plan must consider people who may need help because of mobility, sensory or cognitive needs, age, temporary injury or unfamiliarity. Do not rely on the fire and rescue service to provide routine evacuation assistance.
Arrangements may include personal or generic plans, named assistance, refuges with communication, evacuation equipment, accessible information and suitable staffing. From 6 April 2026, specific Residential PEEPs duties apply to defined residential buildings and residents.
After leaving
Assembly points and accountability
Choose an accessible location far enough from the building and hazards, away from fire-service access and not requiring people to cross unsafe traffic routes. Large or complex sites may need several points and an alternative location.
Accountability methods should fit the premises: staff lists, visitor systems, resident information or area sweeps may contribute, but no one should re-enter to search. Missing-person information should be passed promptly to the fire service.
- Clearly identify primary and alternative assembly points
- Include staff, visitors, contractors and out-of-hours occupants
- Assign who receives roll-call or sweep information
- Prevent crowding at entrances and appliance routes
- State who may authorise re-entry
Make it workable
Communicate, practise and review the plan
Provide relevant information on induction and when arrangements change. Train people with specific roles, coordinate with other occupiers and use drills or exercises to test assumptions without creating unsafe surprise.
Review after drills, incidents, false alarms, building works, staffing changes, changes to people needing assistance or failures of a key system. Record what happened and close corrective actions.
- Issue concise instructions at points of need
- Make alternative arrangements for nights, weekends and lone working
- Test communications and assistance, not only travel time
- Record lessons, owners and completion dates
- Keep the FRA, fire strategy and emergency plan aligned