Fire evacuation drill for private tenants

[colin todd]

Samuel, I was not aware that the notice that you need to install on the back of all flat entrance doors in a high rise block  telling people to call the fire brigade in the event of fire and to assemble in the pouring rain, probably breaking your leg as to run down the 14 storeys cos the fire brigade demanded that the lift grounded as well when the communal fire alarm system operates, was a legal document.  I think you might have missed the point somehow.

 And as long as you get such incredible stupidity amongst fire brigades as to turn out 14 storeys of purpose built flats when the smoke detectors in the common parts operate, I will continue to plug away at knocking it. Learn to live with it, as they are unlikely to stop doing such stupid things in my lifetime.  (By the way, the best fire brigade in the whole of London is still a fire brigade and if its good enough for such an elite band of geezers, I am sure it would be fine for everyone.)

[nearlythere]

Civvy, there is an ENFORCING AUTHORITY that shall remain nameless, but for the sake of the record shall be referred to a Sest Wussex that has used the powers of enforcement to make people put fire alarm systems into high rise purpose built flats.  Their fire safety officer said it was a requirement of their operational people.  Just remind me, who is running the asylum these days.

Just came across this following a Fire Risk Assessment I did for a block of flats a couple of years ago where I had asked for structural fire safety issues to be addressed to the exclusion of AFD. I find out now that the managing agent pays an annual fire alarm service fee which is a fair indicator that it installed the detection system in order to compensate for a multitude of sins in the construction of the building which was cleared by BC I might add. OK it is possible that lives may not be lost so long as the system has not been switched off, but I can see a significant loss of building in the event of a fire.
Maybe they didn't like my assessment and got in someone who had attended a 3 day FRA course.

[Clevelandfire 3]

A person who will remain nameless but for the purposes of this post will be called Tolin Codd wrote a 5 billion page guide on tower blocks and said you can have AFD in leu of poor FR

[colin todd]

The concept is not new Cleveland, but if I brought you up to the date of the 1970s at long last my living has not been in vain.

[Clevelandfire 3]

It didnt colin I was there well before but its very sweet to think you thought you transformed my mind. But for the record many think afd in leu of fr is not an acceptable trade off as it is not a recognised compensatory feature in flats.even an l1 wouldnt be considered enough of a compenstion.the building regs. not to say i dont agree with you though colin and to be fair i did like your guide. better than clg guides as it happens. give yourself a biscuit.

[AnthonyB]

It depends on what you class as 'poor'. Nominal 30 minutes instead of a required 60 is different to a 60 minutes full of 0 minute holes etc.

I've seen higher than benchmark AFD (L1 instead of M or L4) accepted in lieu of full FR upgrades accepted as an alternative solution to an Enforcement Notice requirement before, although admittedly on commercial premises.