Fire safety information for residents living in flats operating a ‘Stay Safe’ policy
The information on this page is only for residents in flats operating a ‘Stay Safe’ policy. If your flat operates an evacuation strategy please visit this page (internal link).
If you’re not sure whether your building is operating a ‘Stay Safe’ policy or evacuation strategy, contact your housing provider or the managing agent for the building.
If you have a fire or there is smoke in your flat you should:
- Alert anyone else in your flat.
- Close the door to the room where the fire is.
- Get out of your flat – make sure the flat door closes behind you.
- Call 999 and ask for ‘Fire’.
- Leave the building using the stairs if you can.
If you have a fire or there is smoke in your flat do not:
- Try and fight the fire - you could be injured.
- Stop to collect belongings.
- Go back into your flat.
- Use the lifts – firefighters may need to take control of them.
- Re-enter the building until told it is safe.
If you cannot get out of your flat move to a room away from the fire and call 999. Keep the door to the room closed and use towels or bedding at the bottom of the door to stop any smoke getting in.
What to do when phoning 999
If you have a fire in your flat or become aware of a fire somewhere else in the building, you should always call 999 and ask for ‘Fire’.
When you dial 999, the first person you speak to is an operator who will ask you which service you need. When you ask for ‘Fire’ you are immediately transferred to our control centre with specially trained staff who will ask you for information and send firefighters to help.
Listen carefully to the control operator - the first thing they will ask you for is the address. Give them the building name, address and postcode and then the flat number and floor of your flat.
Once you have provided the address and told us there is a fire, fire engines will be sent to the building. You will be asked more questions so that firefighters can be passed the information they need when they arrive – you should tell the control operator if there are people who haven’t been able to leave the flat.
Try and stay calm and answer any questions as clearly as you can and stay on the line until the control operator ends the call.
If you are unable to use voice telephony, there are other options available - visit emergencysms.org.uk (external link) and register for the option which is best for you.
What to do when you are outside the building
Stand at the main entrance to the building in a safe place and wait for the fire service to arrive. When firefighters arrive tell them where your flat is in the building, where in your flat the fire started and what is on fire.
It may take some time for firefighters to tackle the fire – you won’t be able to go back to your flat until the fire has been extinguished and it is safe. You should not try and re-enter the building until told it is safe to do so by a firefighter.
Fires in other parts of the building
If there is a fire in another part of the building, you should not need to leave your flat or the building. This is because a fire should not spread from a different part of the building to affect your flat and you are safe in your own flat.
When firefighters tackle a fire anywhere in the building it is likely that some smoke will spread into the corridors and sometimes into the staircase – if you choose to leave the building you may expose yourself to smoke in these areas before it is cleared. You won’t be able to use the lift.
If you choose to leave the building, you may not be able to re-enter the building until firefighters have dealt with the fire. This means you may not be able to go back to your flat for a few hours.
If at any stage your flat is affected by heat or smoke, or you feel unsafe, then you should get out if you can and call 999 and ask for ‘Fire’.
You should always evacuate if asked to do so by firefighters.
The video below explain what you should do in the event of a fire in a block of flats operating a 'Stay Safe' policy.