Fire engineering consultations

There is a statutory requirement for a consultation to take place between the local fire authority and a building control body. This applies when a new building is being erected, or an existing building is being altered, where that falls into the scope of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. 

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service (HIWFRS) operates a dedicated team who are solely responsible for engaging in these consultations.  This team is comprised of fire safety professionals with varying levels of training, up to and including Fire Safety Engineers registered with the UK Engineering Council.

The consultation process we follow aligns with the Building Regulations and Fire Safety Procedural Guidance document published by the Association of Building Control Approvers (ABCA), the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) and Local Authority Building Control (LABC).  This process must be initiated by the building control body in every instance.

The team’s main objective is to make the community safer by providing advice and influencing the design of buildings, so that the safety of the public, firefighters, property, and the environment is to a high standard.

Our Fire Engineering and Consultations Team (FECT) also gather building data information and transfer this onto a live risk log that is shared with our Response and Protection teams. This risk log helps them to understand the current risk in a geographical area and to prioritise relevant activities based on risk.

It should be noted that, as HIWFRS operate as the enforcing authority for fire safety in our geographical area, we are unable to provide direct design advice or respond to requests for quotations.

Need to get in touch?

For general enquires contact csprotection.admin@hantsfire.gov.uk