What is Fire Strategy
and Fire Engineering Support?
Fire strategy is a detailed premises plan which helps with fire prevention, detection, evacuation, as well as facilitating fire and rescue service intervention.
It documents fire warning systems, escape routes, the use of internal and external passive and active fire suppression systems, as well as the access and facilities of the fire service.
The document is highly technical, with precise measurements for model evacuation routes, smoke movement, radiative heat analysis, risk reduction, and more. It’s the basis for ongoing fire risk assessments, too.
Fire engineering support is acting on necessary or recommended fire safety measures included in your fire strategy report. It’s developing engineered solutions for buildings so they support compliance with fire safety regulations. They are an integral part of overall fire safety.
Depending on your building’s specifications, fire strategy and fire engineering help support compliance under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022. When related to design and construction guidance, its Building Regulations 2010 (Approved Document B) and Building Safety Act 2022.
Full Fire
Strategy Documentation
Detailed photographic report including precise measurements outlining how your property can better detect, prevent and facilitate fire and rescue service intervention.
Building Control
Support
Our approved fire assessors plan checks, risk-based inspections, and collaborate with designers to help support compliance with escape routes, fire resistance, alarms, and smoke control.
Fire Engineering
Analysis
Robust technical evaluation identifies hazards and risks whilst highlighting fire system design, structural fire engineering, fire dynamic modelling, evacuation efficacy, and the effectiveness of fire resistance materials.
Layouts &
Fire Systems
Layout design ensures evacuation efficiency and fire service entry. Plus, all passive and active fire systems are considered in their overall effectiveness in preventing and protecting against fire.
What is a Responsible Person?
A “Responsible Person” is the person or party under UK law responsible for fire safety in non-domestic premises and communal areas of residential buildings.
They’re typically the landlord, business owner, or managing agent.
They have ongoing duties under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 for occupied premises as well as design and construction duties under the Building Regulations 2010 (Reg 38) and Building Safety Act 2022 to ensure new builds, extensions, and a building's change of use is supplied with a suitable and sufficient fire strategy.
The Building Safety Act 2022 is commonly used to demonstrate compliance of fire engineering support for uses in advanced analysis and complex design, with British Standards (BS) 9991, BS 9999, and BS7974 recognised guidance frameworks.
Fire Safety Clarity
Clear long-term fire measures like smoke sensors detect, training your people helps prevent, and active fire systems like sprinklers help fight, combining to create an integrated fire safety defence.
Evacuation & Fire-Fighting Strategy
Precise measurements show if your escape routes can handle your building’s occupancy levels as well as the efficiency of your assembly points, emergency lighting, signage, and vulnerable and disabled people’s provisions. Plus, road measurements ensure the fire service has appropriate access.
Risk-based Fire Solutions
Decades of due diligence have finely tuned our fire safety measures, combining certified materials and methods with risk-based, compliant design.
Clear Compliance
Detailed pathways outlined in the fire strategy help support your compliance and your premises against fire risk.
Our other services
Fire Safety Training
Prepares your people in the event of a fire or medical emergency.
Lightning Protection Systems (LPS) Installation and Maintenance
Safely diverting lightning strikes away from your property.
Fire Strategy and Fire Engineering Support
For new builds, refurbishments, and existing buildings.
Fire Door Inspection and Installation
Detailed inspection and installation supporting fire containment.
Fire Extinguisher Supply and Service
Helps slow or stop minor blazes, protecting your property and people.
Passive Fire Protection (PFP)
Uses fire-resistant materials and systems to slow or stop fire spread.
Fire Risk Assessments (FRA)
Helps reduce fire risk for most non domestic properties and communal areas.
Fire Strategy & Fire Engineering That Supports
New & Old
Buildings
Under Building Regulations 2010 (Approved Document B) all new builds, and older buildings where use or occupancy has changed, require fire strategies to help support compliance.
Specialised
Calculations
Advanced computational tools allow measurement of fire design performance, smoke movement, radiative heat analysis, evacuation modelling, and structural fire engineering. These supply precise parameters in fire prevention and protection.
Superior Fire
Safety Design
Thoroughly implemented fire strategies and fire engineering mean fewer design changes and delays in the future.
Why VFS?
Our accredited fire assessors comprise firefighters, fire officers, and ex-forces fire service personnel with over a century of combined fire strategy and engineering support experience.
We understand in detail fire behaviour, how it thinks, how it acts, and assess your old or new property to expertly advise best fire strategy practice and fire engineering support, recommending realistic and practical preventative and remedial measures to help support compliance under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022.
If it’s design and construction guidance, our advice helps support you under Building Regulations 2010 (Reg 38) and Building Safety Act 2022.
