Fire Strategies
Description
A Fire Strategy is an essential complex document that outlines the fire safety measures incorporated into a building's design and operations. Fire Strategies should only be completed by competent Fire Engineers. It is specifically tailored to a building, and reviews all aspects of a building for fire safety features, including but not limited to:
- Construction
- Compartmentation
- Means of Escape
- Evacuation Strategy
However, the definition of a "Fire Strategy" has never formally been defined in scientific, legislative or technical literature. It is therefore important to define the primary objectives of the project and how the Fire Strategy will assist in achieving this. This is turn will determine what type of Fire Strategy will be required. See below for broad definitions:
Retrospective Fire Strategy
A retrospective fire strategy is a document produced for a building that does not have an existing fire strategy. This involves evaluating an existing building in accordance with current design requirements and may result in recommendations for measures exceeding those applicable when the building was originally constructed. This type of fire strategy is especially valuable for fire alarm cause-and-effect matrix development and/or significant refurbishment works. Retrospective fire strategies are also useful in circumstances where a design fire strategy was produced but does not align to the "as-built" condition of the building, and/or where there are anomalies between the "Stage 4" strategy completed during the design phase, and the actual construction of the building.
Design Fire Strategy
A design fire strategy is a prescriptive outline of requirements developed for a new building, usually produced at the design stage of a project, setting out the fire safety measures required to achieve compliance with relevant regulations and standards.
It typically includes the building's approach to (not an exhaustive list):
- Means of escape
- Fire detection and alarm systems
- Compartmentation
- Internal and external fire spread
- Structural fire protection
- Smoke control
- Firefighting access and facilities
- Emergency procedures
The strategy is used to guide the design team and ensure that fire safety is considered as an integrated part of the building design from the outset. It may be based on prescriptive design documents such as Approved Document B or BS9991/9, or be a performance-based design. Regardless, it should give consideration to the functional requirements of the Building Regulations.
As Built Fire Strategy
An as-built fire strategy is a document prepared after construction is complete that records the fire safety measures actually installed in the building, rather than those originally proposed at design stage. It reflects the building as constructed and handed over, including any changes made during the design and construction process.
Typically, it includes:
- Means of escape
- Fire detection and alarm systems
- Compartmentation
- Internal and external fire spread
- Structural fire protection
- Smoke control
- Firefighting access and facilities
- Emergency procedures
An as-built fire strategy is used to:
- Confirm what has actually been provided
- Support handover documentation
- Assist with building operation and management
- Provide a basis for future fire risk assessments, alterations and maintenance
- Support the digital golden thread of information for the whole life cycle of the building (from design to demolition)
Fire Information Drawing Requirements
As a requirement of Regulation 38 of the Building Regulations, Fire Strategy drawings are required to be updated or issued by the main contractor for all building changes at Imperial. Where Imperial hold any existing Fire Strategy drawings for the building, these should be requested from the Building Information Team and updated to cover the relevant changes. Where no existing drawings exist, then new drawings should be generated and issued as part of the project deliverables.
Engagement
Please request any existing Master File Strategies for the building from the relevant Project Manager before creating a new one.
Forms and Links
Fire Strategy Scope: Fire Strategy Scope
Approvals and Compliance Review
All as-built fire strategies should be received by Imperial in native format and PDF.