Find out how we make our blocks of flats resistant to fire, and what to do if there's a fire in your building
If the fire is in your flat you should get out, stay out and phone the fire service on 999.
For the majority of our blocks, if there's a fire elsewhere in the building, the structure of your flat (walls, floors, and doors) is designed to provide appropriate protection.
In that case, you are usually safer to stay in your flat with the doors and windows closed, unless the heat or smoke from the fire is affecting you. However, if you feel threatened by the fire and wish to evacuate, please do so.
The fire service will tell you if you need to leave the building.
If you ‘remain in place’ you should still immediately phone 999 for advice and to ensure that the fire and rescue service along with attending emergency crews have been notified.
Find more information about the ‘remain in place’ evacuation policy on the National Fire Chiefs Council website.
The East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service (ESFRS) website has information on planning a safe escape.
In a few of our blocks, we're currently advising residents to evacuate immediately in the case of a fire.
We're operating a ‘waking watch’ for these buildings a temporary precautionary measure to ensure everyone can evacuate safely if needed.
These buildings are:
Find more information about the simultaneous evacuation policy for high-rise buildings on the National Fire Chiefs Council website.
All our blocks of flats are built to be resistant to fire, so living above the first floor does not put you at greater risk from fire.
We complete annual fire risk assessments for all our high-rise and low-rise buildings. This informs us of the safest action in the event of a fire.
We make sure our buildings are safe by:
View the cladding and fire safety information for our high-rise blocks.
Read our additional building safety information for our 8 large panel system high-rise blocks.
If you think anyone you live with may have trouble leaving your building if there's a fire, phone 01273 293 030 for help.
Read our information on the main causes of fire in the home.
The most effective way to get an early warning of a fire in your home is to have an operational smoke alarm installed in the correct location and to test it regularly, renewing the battery when necessary.
We all need to consider how we would respond and escape if there's a fire in the home.
Your escape would be through your flat entrance door and out of the block’s main entrance door.
The Housing Repairs and Maintenance Service has a programme of work to fit smoke alarms that are wired into the electric so will not need a battery. It will take some time to cover all our properties. We'll be in contact with you when your block is being fitted.
Individual flat smoke detectors will only notify the resident in their flat when smoke is within that area, and these are not linked to other properties.
East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service (ESFRS) offer free home safety visits. They can give you a range of advice to help you keep safer in the home and reduce the risk of fire. They can also check and fit smoke alarms as appropriate.
Visit the ESFRS website for information on how to book a free Home Safety Visit.
If you do need to leave your flat in case of a fire, it's very important that your hallway is clear of obstructions, especially things which burn easily or could present a trip hazard.
All communal corridors and lobbies must be kept clear of obstructions and stored items so you can quickly and safely escape the building if necessary and allow the fire service clear access.
If a fire breaks out in your home:
We complete annual fire risk assessments for all our high-rise and low-rise buildings. This tells us what the safest action is in the event of a fire. If there's a fire somewhere else in your building, you will be safe to remain in your home.
Staying in your home will enable the fire service to come into your building and tackle the fire quickly. If the fire service thinks it’s necessary to evacuate you or the whole building, they will let you know.
In the event of a fire, the advice is to stay in your flat and await their instructions unless you're told to leave or heat, flames or smoke enter your home.
However, if you feel threatened by the fire and wish to evacuate, please do so.
Your flat entrance door and doors to stairways, communal landings and corridors in your block are fire doors. Do not wedge these doors open.
In the event of a fire, these doors are designed to slow the spread of fire and smoke. This helps you to leave the building safely if you need to.
If fire doors are jammed or propped open it stops them from working properly and that becomes a danger to everyone in the building.
If you notice a defect in these doors, report it to our repairs team as soon as possible by:
Our purpose-built blocks do not have a communal full-building fire alarm system. We only have alarms covering storage cupboard areas or bin rooms.
The fire service would attend to any reported fire in a high-rise flat.
We have never had fire alarms linked to the lifts, but we have signage stating that lifts should not be used as a means of fire escape. There's also signage around buildings giving advice on what to do in the event of a fire.