What must the Responsible Person do for affected residents?
Where a resident agrees, the Responsible Person must:
The Regulations do not require Responsible Persons to carry out medical assessments or force participation.
Where can further guidance be found?
Statutory guidance and supporting materials for Responsible Persons are available on GOV.UK, including government-published guidance on residential evacuation planning and consent-based engagement with residents.
Are there additional duties for high-rise residential buildings?
Yes. Under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, Responsible Persons for high-rise residential buildings (those that are 18 metres or more in height or seven storeys or more) must also:
These duties are separate from, and in addition to, the Residential Evacuation Plans Regulations.
What about data protection and consent?
All elements of the process are subject to the resident’s explicit consent.
Information must be handled in accordance with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, and the Regulations do not authorise processing of personal data that would contravene data protection legislation. Residents may withdraw consent at any time.
Is a building-level evacuation plan required?
Yes. Responsible Persons for buildings in scope must prepare and maintain a Building Emergency Evacuation Plan. This plan must:
How must the information shared with the Fire and Rescue Service be provided?
The Regulations require the information to be provided to the Fire and Rescue Authority.
It is for the Fire and Rescue Authority to determine whether this information should be provided digitally or in hard copy, and Responsible Persons should confirm the Authority’s preference before sharing information.
Where a building is already required to have a Secure Information Box under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, the information must be kept there in hard copy.
Where a Secure Information Box is not already in place and the Fire and Rescue Authority requires hard copy information to be held on site, the Responsible Person must install and maintain a Secure Information Box for this purpose.
What information must be shared with the Fire and Rescue Service?
With the resident’s explicit consent, the Responsible Person must provide the Fire and Rescue Authority with the prescribed information, which includes:
No other personal information is required.
Which residents are covered by the Regulations?
The Regulations apply to residents for whom the domestic premises in the building is their only or principal residence and who may have difficulty evacuating independently due to physical mobility limitations, sensory impairments, cognitive conditions, or other disabilities.
Participation is voluntary and depends entirely on the resident’s consent.
Who is the Responsible Person?
The Responsible Person is the individual or organisation with control over the building or its common parts. This may include a building owner, managing agent, management company, or other person with legal control.
Responsible Persons already have duties under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. These Regulations introduce additional, specific duties.
Which buildings are in scope?
The Regulations apply to residential buildings in England that contain two or more domestic premises and meet one of the following criteria:
• Buildings that are 18 metres or more in height, or seven or more storeys
• Buildings that are over 11 metres in height and operate a simultaneous evacuation strategy is in place
Why have these Regulations been introduced?
The Regulations were introduced following recommendations made after the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 report. Their purpose is to ensure that residents who may not be able to self-evacuate are properly considered within residential fire risk management and evacuation planning arrangements, and that fire and rescue services have access to the prescribed information required by the Regulations to support operational response, subject to the resident’s consent.
What are the Residential Evacuation Plans Regulations?
The Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025 introduce new legal duties for Responsible Persons of in scope residential buildings in England.
The duties relate to planning for the evacuation of relevant residents whose ability to evacuate without assistance may be compromised, subject to the resident’s consent, in the event of a fire.
The Regulations come into force on 6 April 2026.
Where are your fire stations located?
We have 19 strategically placed stations across Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes. They are located at (listed in alphabetical order): Amersham, Aylesbury, Beaconsfield, Brill, Broughton, Buckingham, Chesham, Gerrards Cross, Great Missenden, Haddenham, High Wycombe, Marlow, Newport Pagnell, Olney, Princes Risborough, Stokenchurch, Waddesdon, West Ashland and Winslow. Details about our fire stations and their locations can be found on our ‘About Us‘ page.
My smoke alarm is beeping what do I do?
A beeping or chirping smoke alarm can indicate a fault with the battery or sensor within it. Although the smoke alarm may continue to work in the short term when the beep is intermittent, the cause of the beeping needs to be investigated and if necessary the smoke alarm should be replaced.
I have a concern about a fire risk in a business or flats - who do I tell?
If you are concerned about a possible fire risk, please let us know.
Our business engagement and fire safety teams will investigate or give advice as appropriate.
Please contact your local fire safety office with as much information as you can, using the Contact Us page on the website under ‘Safety in the workplace’.
If the concern is an emergency, dial 999.
Can you recommend a fire safety training provider?
As a regulatory authority we can not recommend a training provider or provide training. There are many organisations that provide training either at a central venue, or your business. When selecting a provider and course, consider any significant findings from your fire risk assessment and your procedures.
Do you run fire safety training courses - for example, use of extinguishers/how to complete a fire risk assessment?
As a regulatory authority we are not allowed to provide training or conduct risk assessments as this could lead to a conflict of interest.
Do I need to notify you about building works or plans for new buildings?
No. Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service are statutory consultees, which means that we are consulted by the Local Authority Building Control or Approved Inspector responsible for signing off the construction work. We are notified of all building work through this process, so you only need to deal with one point of contact.
Can you advise on the best place to purchase fire doors, extinguishers or other fire safety equipment?
As a regulatory authority we are not allowed to recommend or endorse any particular business or provider. There are companies who can supply this kind of equipment, and the following UK trade organisations can provide advice:
– Association for Specialist Fire Protection
– British Woodworking Federation
– Glass and Glazing Federation
– Door and Hardware Federation
– British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association
– XACT
I am running an event; do I need a licence or permit from the fire service?
No, although you may be required to obtain permission or a Temporary Event Notice from your Local Authority Licensing team.
Do I need to inform or get permission from the fire service to put on a public firework display?
You do not need to get permission from the fire service to put on a public firework display. These sorts of events are licensed by the Local Authority, so you do need to contact them, and follow any instructions they give. Sales of fireworks are regulated by Trading Standards.
I have a shop/office/business. Can someone from the fire service come and check for fire safety?
We can give advice on how to comply with your duties under the Fire Safety Order, however we cannot fulfil these duties on your behalf. If you are still unsure, it may be worth employing a Competent Person to conduct the risk assessment for you.
I have a small pub, I don’t have any staff and do all the work myself, does the Fire Safety Order apply to me?
Yes. You are responsible not only for yourself, but also the people that enter your premises. You must ensure that there are adequate fire safety arrangements. As you hold a licence to sell alcohol, you must also record the findings in a fire risk assessment.
I run a business out of my small workshop. I am self-employed, does the Fire Safety Order apply to me?
Yes you must protect yourself and anyone else in the vicinity of your business from fire. To do this you must assess the risks and make general fire precautions and record the findings of your assessment. This is called a Fire Risk Assessment and if our fire safety inspectors were to visit your business, they would wish to see this to show that you understand your fire risks.
What are the main requirements of the Fire Safety Order?
The Responsible Person is required to:
– Carry out, or nominate someone to carry out, a Fire Risk Assessment identifying the risks and hazards
– Consider who may be at risk
– Eliminate/reduce the risk from fire as far as is reasonably practical, and provide general fire precautions to deal with any residual risk
– Take additional measures where flammable or explosive materials are used or stored
– Create a plan to deal with any emergency and document the findings
– Review the findings