Fire Evacuation Strategy & Emergency Management Plans

A dedicated fire evacuation strategy defines how occupants should respond in the event of a fire and forms an important part of a building's wider fire protection and fire safety arrangements.

A formal Emergency Management Plan documents the chosen strategy and forms part of a building's overall fire strategies and management processes.

The three main fire evacuation strategies used in residential buildings are Stay Put, Simultaneous Evacuation, and Phased Evacuation. The most appropriate approach depends on the building's construction, compartmentation, occupancy, fire safety measures, and risk profile.

An Emergency Management Plan formally records and justifies the evacuation strategy selected for the building.

Under a 'stay put' policy, occupants do not automatically leave the building when a fire occurs elsewhere. Instead, residents remain within their flats unless directly affected by fire, smoke, or instructed otherwise by the Fire and Rescue Service.

A Simultaneous Evacuation strategy requires residents to leave via the designated escape route and evacuate the building when the alarm system sounds. This form of total evacuation is typically used where compartmentation cannot be relied upon or where significant fire safety concerns require all occupants to evacuate together.

Yes. An Emergency Management Plan provides important building-specific information that can assist the Fire and Rescue Service in understanding the building's layout, fire safety measures, and evacuation strategy.

The document helps ensure relevant stakeholders have access to clear information about how the building should be managed in the event of a fire.

The appropriate response depends on the building's fire evacuation strategy. In some buildings, residents may be required to remain within their flats under a Stay Put strategy, while others may require occupants to begin exiting the building via designated escape routes. 

Emergency Management Plans provide clear guidance on the building's evacuation arrangements, helping residents understand when to leave the building, where to go once outside the building, and when to call the fire brigade in an emergency.

No. An Emergency Management Plan documents the building's evacuation strategy and emergency arrangements, while a fire drill is a practical exercise used to test evacuation procedures.

Residential buildings do not typically conduct fire drills in the same way as workplaces, but an EMP helps ensure residents, building managers, and relevant stakeholders understand the agreed evacuation approach.