The Fire Strategy as a Living Document

A fire strategy report is frequently treated as a document produced once, filed, and forgotten. This is a misunderstanding of what a fire strategy is and how it should function. For new build projects, the fire strategy evolves through the design process and is updated to reflect design changes. For occupied buildings, the fire strategy should be reviewed whenever the building or its use changes, and periodically regardless of changes.

Review Triggers During Design

• Significant changes to the building layout — particularly changes that affect escape routes, travel distances or compartmentation
• Changes to the structural system that affect fire resistance provisions
• Changes to the facade specification that affect external wall fire safety
• Changes to the M&E design that affect smoke control or suppression systems
• Resubmission to building control following queries — the fire strategy must be updated to reflect any design changes made in response to queries

Review Triggers in Occupation

• Refurbishment works — any works that affect escape routes, compartmentation or fire safety systems
• Change of use — any change in how the building is used that affects occupancy load or characteristics
• Change of occupant — for commercial buildings, a change of tenant may involve fit-out works that affect compartmentation
• Change of fire safety management — a change in evacuation strategy, management procedures, or staffing arrangements may require the fire strategy to be updated
• Building Safety Regulator requirements — for higher-risk buildings, the building safety case must be kept up to date and the fire strategy is a central component

Periodic Review — How Often?

For occupied buildings, there is no single prescribed review interval for fire strategies. However, a good rule of thumb is to review the fire strategy every five years as a minimum, and whenever significant changes occur. For higher-risk buildings, the building safety case review obligations effectively require the fire strategy to be kept current as part of ongoing compliance.

The fire risk assessment — a separate but related document — should be reviewed annually as a minimum, and more frequently if there are changes to the building or its use. Where the fire risk assessment identifies issues with compartmentation, means of escape or fire safety systems that affect the fire strategy assumptions, the fire strategy should be reviewed.

What Does a Fire Strategy Review Involve?

A fire strategy review involves a chartered fire engineer assessing the currency and accuracy of the existing fire strategy against the building as it currently stands, checking that the fire strategy remains consistent with the current design or building condition, and identifying any changes that require the fire strategy to be updated. A review is not always a full rewrite — for many buildings, it results in a short addendum confirming that the strategy remains current, or identifying specific updates required.