Provide building information to your Fire and Rescue Service

Who this applies to

You must comply with these requirements if you are the responsible person for a high-rise residential building. A high-rise residential building is one that:

• is 18 metres or higher, or has at least 7 storeys
• contains at least 2 residential units (flats, maisonettes, or similar dwellings)

You only need to meet one of the height thresholds - 18 metres or 7 storeys. If your building meets either, these requirements apply.

The responsible person is typically the freeholder, a management company, a managing agent with sufficient control, a Resident Management Company (RMC), or a housing association. There may be multiple responsible persons for different parts of the same building.

Overview of your information duties

You must provide your Fire and Rescue Service with:

1. A secure information box - installed in or on the building, containing hard copy floor plans and your contact details
2. Floor plans - showing the layout and fire safety equipment on each floor, provided electronically to the Fire and Rescue Authority
3. External wall information - details of construction materials and fire safety features in your external walls

You must keep all this information up to date and provide it to the Fire and Rescue Authority when they request it.

1. Install a secure information box

You must install and maintain a secure information box in or on your building. This provides firefighters with immediate access to critical building information when they arrive at an incident.

What to put in the secure information box

The secure information box must contain:

• Hard copy floor plans for every floor of the building - see the floor plan requirements below
• A building plan - a single page showing the overall building layout, orientation, and entry points
• Your name and UK contact details - as the responsible person, firefighters may need to contact you during an incident

Where to install the box

Position the secure information box where firefighters can reach it quickly when they arrive. This is typically:

• in the main entrance lobby
• near the firefighter entrance if different from the main entrance
• somewhere clearly visible and accessible without needing keys or security codes

The box must use a locking system that is compatible with Fire and Rescue Service equipment. In most areas of England, this means a Gerda key lock. Check with your local Fire and Rescue Service for their specific requirements.

2. Prepare floor plans

You must prepare floor plans that show firefighters the information they need to navigate your building and locate fire safety equipment during an incident.

What your floor plans must show

For each floor of the building, your floor plans must clearly show:

• Floor number - clearly marked
• Layout - corridors, stairwells, flat positions, and common areas
• Firefighting equipment - location of dry risers, wet risers, hose reels, and fire extinguishers
• Firefighter lifts - if present, clearly marked
• Smoke ventilation systems - controls and outlet locations
• Fire alarm call points - locations on each floor
• Escape routes - primary and alternative routes to safety
• Refuge areas - if present, for people who cannot use stairs

You also need a single-page building orientation plan showing the overall building footprint, north point, vehicle access points, firefighting access points, and the location of the secure information box.

Providing floor plans to the Fire and Rescue Authority

You must provide electronic copies of your floor plans to your local Fire and Rescue Authority. They use these for pre-incident planning - so crews can familiarise themselves with buildings in their area before any emergency occurs.

Contact your local Fire and Rescue Service to find out:

• which email address or portal to send plans to
• what format they prefer (typically PDF)
• any specific naming conventions they use

3. Record external wall information

You must record and maintain detailed information about your building's external wall construction. This helps Fire and Rescue Authorities understand the fire risks and plan their operational response.

What to record about your external walls

Your external wall records must include:

• Materials used - all materials in the external wall system, including cladding, insulation, filler materials, and fixings
• How the wall system is designed - construction methodology, layers, and how components connect
• Fire safety features - fire stopping, cavity barriers, intumescent materials, and other fire protection measures

The information must be detailed enough for the Fire and Rescue Authority to understand the fire risks and plan how they would fight a fire at your building.

Where to get this information

Start by checking:

• original building plans and construction drawings
• fire safety strategies from the original construction
• as-built documentation and handover files
• records of any remediation work if cladding has been replaced
• your Building Safety Case report (if you are registered under the Building Safety Act)

If your records are incomplete or unavailable, you may need to commission surveys by qualified fire engineers or chartered surveyors. This is particularly likely for older buildings where original documentation has been lost.

Relationship with EWS1 surveys

An EWS1 (External Wall System) survey can provide useful information, but it serves a different purpose - EWS1 is primarily for mortgage and insurance purposes. Regulation 5 requires more comprehensive information about materials and design, regardless of the fire risk rating.

4. Submit information to your Fire and Rescue Authority

Your Fire and Rescue Authority can request building information at any time, and you must provide it as soon as reasonably practicable. Beyond responding to requests, you should proactively provide:

5. Keep information up to date

You have an ongoing duty to maintain accurate information. Update your records and notify the Fire and Rescue Authority whenever:

• Building layout changes - conversions, extensions, or major alterations that affect floor plans
• Fire safety equipment changes - equipment is moved, upgraded, or removed
• External walls are altered - remediation work, new cladding, or balcony modifications
• Responsible person changes - new name, new contact details, or change of management

Regular review

Review all building information at least annually as part of your fire risk assessment review. Check that:

• floor plans accurately reflect the current building layout
• fire safety equipment locations shown on plans match reality
• external wall records are complete and current
• your contact details in the secure information box are correct

Update the hard copies in your secure information box whenever you update the electronic versions you hold.

Residents' right to request information

For buildings 18 metres or higher, residents have the right to request information about your external wall construction. You must respond to these requests as soon as reasonably practicable, at no charge to the resident.

The information you provide must be in a form the resident can reasonably understand - avoid technical jargon where possible, and explain what the materials and construction methods mean for fire safety.

This is separate from your wider resident engagement duties under the Building Safety Act 2022 (if your building is registered as a higher-risk building).

Penalties for non-compliance

Failing to provide building information to your Fire and Rescue Service is a criminal offence. Fire and Rescue Authorities are actively enforcing these requirements, particularly for high-rise residential buildings.

Potential consequences include:

• Enforcement notice - requiring you to take specific steps by a deadline
• Prosecution - with unlimited fines on conviction
• Personal liability - directors and officers can be personally prosecuted if the offence was committed with their consent, connivance, or neglect

Beyond legal penalties, failing to provide accurate building information puts residents and firefighters at risk. The Grenfell Tower Inquiry highlighted how lack of information hampered the emergency response.

Step-by-step: getting compliant

Related requirements

If your building is high-rise (18 metres or higher, or 7+ storeys), you also have duties to:

• Install wayfinding signage - floor numbers and stairwell identifiers visible in reduced visibility conditions
• Inspect fire doors - quarterly for communal doors, annually for flat entrance doors
• Provide fire safety information to residents - including evacuation strategy and how to report concerns

If your building is 18 metres or higher, or 7+ storeys, you likely also have separate duties under the Building Safety Act 2022, including registering with the Building Safety Regulator and appointing an Accountable Person. These are separate requirements with a different enforcer.