FOI 1846 - Means of escape enforcement from buildings

1. The number of low, medium and high-rise residential buildings in your area (or your current/best estimate of them) covered by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

 In Cheshire we have the following number of residential buildings recorded on our management system - 2782 inclusive of all residential buildings where the FSEC/Supp. line number and therefore primary purpose group is residential use i.e. not inclusive of residential halls that form part of a school & are located on the same site.

Does include the following:

• Flatlets (HSE Convert to flats up to 3 floors)

• Flats (Bldg. Act Sect.72)/Purpose Blt up

• Flats/maisonettes (Purpose Built >= 4 S)

• HIMO Data from LA

• HIMO Flatlets (Hse Convert to flats up to 3 floors)

• HIMO Houses (rooms)>3 floors

• House converted to Flat

• Purpose built flatlets occupied up to 3 floors
  

2. The total number of deficiency and/or enforcement notices served to the owners of these buildings relating to means of escape (Articles 14(2)(b) & 15 (1)(b)), since the July 2021 to the date of this FOI.

 Our management system indicates we have the following number of Enforcement Notices and Action Plans relating to means of escape - 15. Our system has not determined if it is specific to Article 14(2)(b) & 15(1)(b) it has identified an active notice with that Article present.

3. The number of deficiency and/or enforcement notices served to the owners of these buildings specifically relating to the identification of vulnerable and disabled residents, and planning for their escape (Articles 14(2)(b) & 15 (1)(b)), since July 2021 to the date of this FOI

 None of the notices we have issued have been related to the specific matter of the identification of vulnerable and disabled residents. Our notices when including Article 15 will state; Your emergency plan should be appropriate to your premises and could include:

• Arrangements for the safe evacuation of people identified as being especially at risk, such as those with disabilities and children

4. Copies of the notices referred to in (Q3)

 None of our notices are specifically related to this matter therefore copies have not been included. The NFCC compile a national enforcement register which can be found by clicking on the link provided below. This details each FRS and the issuing of formal notices.

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5. The fire authority's current policy covering the evacuation of disabled people from multi-occupancy buildings during a fire

 Cheshire Fire Authority has no specific policy relating to the evacuation of disabled people from multi-occupancy buildings during fire. The officer in charge at an incident will make tactical decisions based on the scenario they are confronted with.

Our incident commanders are trained to recognise when a fire is not behaving as expected and as a Northwest region, we have adopted an Immediate Building Evacuation (IBE) procedure in recognition of that. 

Whenever there is consultation relating to fire safety and the evacuation of disabled people Cheshire has always responded and put our views across. This is an important issue and one that is recognised nationally across the whole fire sector.