Frequently Asked Questions

No, Fire safety certificates used to be issued by the Fire Service prior to the Fire Safety Order. You will not be issued with a Fire Safety Certificate following an inspection by one of our officers. If you have a Fire Safety Certificate which was issued by the Fire Service it will no longer be valid.

The Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order was implemented in 2005. It gives anybody who has control over a premises responsibility for fire safety within their premises. This means that you could be held legally liable for fire safety provisions within your premises.

You may think that the cost of compliance is daunting, but compared to the cost of shutting your business down, even temporarily, it makes sense to be prepared. Also, there may be cost effective ways of reducing the financial burdens by getting appropriate advice early.

If you are identified as a Responsible Person for a business you are responsible for the safety of anybody who is legally entitled to be in or around the premises in the event of a fire.

In the first instance, you need to carry out a comprehensive Fire Risk Assessment or employ a competent Fire Risk Assessor (.pdf, 7 pages) to do this for you. Ensure any actions identified within the fire risk assessment are followed up.

It is likely that building regulations will apply and you should contact a building control body, such as your local authority Building Control department, in the first instance. More information on Building Regulations is available online.

A Fire Risk Assessment is an organised and methodical look at your premises, the activities carried out there and the likelihood that a fire could start and cause harm to those in and around the premises. This must be carried out by the Responsible Person or a competent person appointed to undertake a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks of fire to their employees and others who may be affected by their work or business. Please feel free to use our Fire Risk Assessment Template (docx. 41 KB. 14 pages).

Yes, we offer free workshops to assist you carrying out your own Fire Risk Assessment where appropriate..

There are a number of publications from the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) relating to a specific premises' use which you may find useful. The DCLG Guides can be downloaded from the government website, or you can purchase a copy from a good book shop or online.

All staff need to have some form of fire training as soon as possible upon joining the business. You may give some staff members additional responsibilities in case of fire. The Government website has further guidance on this.

This depends on the size of the room and how many exits there are. For more information, please see our room occupancy guidance.

This depends on the size and use of the premises in question. An alarm can range from somebody shouting "FIRE, FIRE, FIRE", to a fully automated system with vocal instructions. If this is not already specified in your Fire Risk Assessment, use the DCLG Guides for your particular premises to help you work out what is most appropriate for you.

This depends on the size, use and number of floors within the building. You need to take into consideration the location of extinguishers, types and use. Your Fire Risk Assessment will determine the best placement using the DCLG guidance documents .

If you have any general fire safety concerns for a business, please see our Report A Concern page. Your details will not be revealed to anybody and are treated in the strictest confidence.

The Fire Protection team deals with Fire Safety in commercial premises but we have specialist teams that deal with fire safety in the home. Please see the 'Safety in your home' pages for further advice and information

You should have a comprehensive Business Continuity Plan in place to cover a fire along with other major events. There is a lot of information and advice available on the BCI's website regarding planning for an emergency.

Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service does not issue licenses. We are a statutory agency which is referred to for some applications and we can make recommendations prior to a license issue. To find out further information about licenses, contact your local council.

Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service can provide a partnership arrangement with businesses to provide advice across geographic boundaries of other fire and rescue service. The BEIS Primary Authority Register has more information or see our Primary Authority page to find out more

You can find regulation information for the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire area on the D2N2 Better Business Regulations site.

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) and the British Agrochemical Standards Inspection Scheme (BASIS) have joint working arrangements in place which give fire and rescue authorities the opportunity to gather risk-based information. Their BASIS guidance is based upon these arrangements and is designed to help us inspect BASIS-registered premises.

As a regulatory fire authority we must meet the requirements of the Regulators Code. The Government's Office for Product Safety and Standards supports its effective implementation. The Regulators Code is available online.

Please see our contact us page to speak to a member of the Business Support Team, or contact details for your local Fire Protection team.