Responsible Persons - Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans

What is happening?

New legislation around Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) for residential buildings will come into force from Monday 6 April 2026, so Responsible Persons (RPs) need to understand their rights and responsibilities.   

The Residential PEEPs process includes a range of measures that RPs will be legally required to meet to improve the fire safety and evacuation of vulnerable residents.   

The information on this page is designed to support you as the Responsible Person.

What actions do I need to take as the Responsible Person? 

The new regulations require the Responsible Person for certain residential buildings to: 

• make reasonable endeavours to identify residents who may struggle to evacuate without assistance during a fire
• offer these residents a person-centred fire risk assessment 
• work with the resident (if they choose) to agree a simple emergency evacuation statement (the resident should still phone 999 in an emergency) 
• put in place reasonable and proportionate measures to support their safety 
• prepare a building wide emergency evacuation plan 
• share a small amount of essential information with the fire and rescue service – but only if the resident gives explicit consent 
• keep information up to date -all assessments and arrangements should be reviewed by the RP at least every 12 months, or sooner if things change. 

How should I share the RPEEPs information with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service (HIWFRS)? 

Minimal prescribed information (listed below) from Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) for individuals within scope residing in your building must be held within the Secure Information box (SIB) (also known as the Premises Information Box/PIB). This is to ensure that the correct information can be quickly accessed by our fire crews should there be an incident.   

What information do I need to share with HIWFRS? 

With the resident’s consent, you must only share the following information with HIWFRS in the building’s Secure Information Box (SIB): 

• Flat number, floor number  
• Basic indication of assistance likely needed  
• Whether an emergency evacuation statement exists 

Is there an electronic system in place for me to share the RPEEPs information with HIWFRS? 

There is no electronic data-sharing system in place for you to submit RPEEPs information to HIWFRS.  This information must be shared via the Secure Information Box (SIB). This is to ensure HIWFRS crews have access to the most up to date information.

About building wide evacuation plans 

Every building covered by the regulations must also have a building emergency evacuation plan, which is the responsibility of the Responsible Person. 

This should include: 

• A copy of instructions to residents 
• whether there are relevant residents 
• any additional safety features in place (such as an evacuation alert system) 

The plan must be shared with the fire and rescue service and reviewed every 12 months or sooner if needed. 

What the fire and rescue service does 

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service will: 

• access the information listed above – with the resident’s explicit consent 
• only use this information to help plan a safe and effective response if a fire in your building occurs 
• keep the information secure and only use it to support the operational response to a fire 

Fire and rescue services do not: 

• carry out the resident assessments 
• create evacuation statements 
• hold medical details 
• decide what mitigation measures are reasonable 
• mediate disputes between residents and Responsible Persons