Fire Safety Services
Fire evacuation plans.
Site-specific. FSO compliant. From £295.
A fire evacuation plan produced by a qualified assessor who has walked your building, understands your escape routes, and knows your occupants. Not a template downloaded from the internet. A document that will withstand scrutiny from the fire authority, your insurer, and the courts.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires every responsible person to have a documented emergency evacuation plan — a written procedure that records what happens when a fire alarm sounds, who does what, where occupants go, and how the fire service is met on arrival. Without it, the responsible person is not compliant with the FSO regardless of how good their physical fire precautions are.
Fletcher Risk Management produces fire evacuation plans for businesses, landlords, managing agents, care homes, schools, and property managers across the North West and North Wales. Every plan is produced by the same ABBE Level 4 qualified assessors who carry out our fire risk assessments — people who have walked the building, understand the escape routes, and know the occupancy. The result is a document that reflects reality, not a generic template that could apply to any building.
Already had your fire risk assessment with us? Where we have assessed your building, we produce an evacuation plan that is directly cross-referenced to the assessment findings — the same escape routes, the same assembly point, the same occupant profile. The plan and the assessment are consistent, coherent, and ready for any fire authority audit. Combined engagement available at a reduced total cost.
What the responsible person actually needs
"We downloaded one from the internet and filled it in."
A generic template completed in-house is the most common form of inadequate evacuation plan, and the most common finding when fire authority inspectors request documentation. The plan may be accurate in outline but it will not contain the specific detail the FSO requires — the actual escape routes, the specific assembly point location and route, the named fire marshal responsibilities, and the arrangements for any occupants who need assistance. An inspector who asks to see the plan and receives a two-page template is noting a deficiency.
"The plan is part of the fire risk assessment report."
A fire risk assessment identifies that an evacuation plan is required and may describe the general approach. It is not itself the evacuation plan. The two documents serve different purposes — the assessment records what the risks are and what needs to be done; the evacuation plan records the specific procedure for what to do when a fire occurs. Having one does not mean you have the other.
"Everyone knows what to do — we don't need it written down."
The FSO requires the significant findings of the fire risk assessment to be recorded in writing for premises with ten or more employees, and requires the fire safety arrangements to be documented. An oral procedure that exists only in the memory of a fire marshal who may be absent, may leave, or may be the first person to find the fire is not an adequate substitute. The written plan exists so that every person in the building — including contractors, visitors, and new starters — can understand and follow the procedure without relying on a specific individual.
What your evacuation plan includes
Building & escape routes
Every route, every exit, every floor
A clear description of all means of escape — every staircase, every corridor, every final exit — referenced to the specific building. Where routes serve different occupancy zones or have different capacities, this is reflected in the plan.
Alarm & detection
What happens when the alarm sounds
The type of alarm system in place, how it activates, what different signals mean, and the immediate action required from staff and occupants on hearing each one — including the distinction between alert and evacuation signals in phased systems.
Roles & responsibilities
Named duties for every fire marshal role
Specific responsibilities assigned to named roles — sweep duties by floor or zone, assembly point management, liaison with the fire service on arrival, and the responsible person's specific obligations during the incident and its aftermath.
Assembly point
Location, route, and roll call procedure
The specific assembly point for the building, the route from each exit, the procedure for accounting for all occupants and visitors, and the arrangements for communicating a clear or incomplete roll call to the incident commander.
PEEP provisions
Assisted evacuation arrangements
Where any occupants may need assistance — mobility impairment, visual or hearing impairment, medical condition — the plan identifies the specific provision in place, the staff assigned to assist, and the refuge arrangements where applicable.
Special circumstances
Out of hours, lone working, and high-risk periods
Evacuation arrangements that differ from the standard procedure — reduced night-time staffing in hotels and care homes, lone working in offices and retail, and high-occupancy periods in hospitality and event venues.
Who we produce plans for
Evacuation plans must reflect the specific occupancy of the building. A hotel evacuation plan needs to address sleeping guests who may be disoriented. A care home plan must address residents who cannot self-evacuate. A school plan must address children in multiple classrooms simultaneously. We produce plans that reflect these specific circumstances, not a generic one-size-fits-all document.
Managing agents
Residential blocks & BSA 2022 portfolios
Hotels & hospitality
Sleeping risk & public-facing venues
Care homes
Non-ambulant residents & PEEP
Schools & colleges
Multi-classroom simultaneous evacuation
Offices & commercial
Multi-tenancy & shared escape routes
Warehouses & industrial
Large floor areas & shift workers
HMO landlords
Residential evacuation procedures
Churches & community
Public venues & volunteer stewards
Part of a complete fire safety package
A fire evacuation plan works best as part of a coherent set of fire safety documentation rather than a standalone document. The fire risk assessment identifies the risks and the precautions required. The fire safety policy records how fire safety is organised and managed. The evacuation plan records what to do when a fire occurs. Where all three are produced by the same qualified assessors, they are consistent with each other — the plan references the escape routes identified in the assessment, the policy records how the plan is reviewed and communicated, and the whole package presents as the coherent, actively managed fire safety system that the FSO requires.
We also offer fire door inspections, fire safety training, and evacuation chair training — all delivered by the same team, all cross-referenced to your specific building and its documentation.
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"Without doubt one of the best and most professional businesses I have used. Tim Fletcher is a highly regarded professional in his field. Don't take a chance — protect your staff, protect your building, protect your business."Chris H. · Google Review
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"We have engaged Fletcher Risk Management to carry out surveys on a number of our sites for a very important client. Always professional, friendly and accommodating. The work exceeded our expectations by far."Marie Morgan · EIS Ltd · Google Review
Common questions
How much does a fire evacuation plan cost?
From £295. We will give you a fixed price. No revisions on the day, no hidden charges. Where we have already carried out the fire risk assessment for your premises the plan can be produced from that assessment without a further site visit, which means faster turnaround. Call 01244 394 244 to discuss your premises.
Does a fire evacuation plan require a site visit?
For a new premises where we have not carried out the fire risk assessment, yes — a site visit is required to produce a plan that accurately reflects the building's layout, escape routes, and occupancy. Where we have an existing assessment for your premises, we can produce the plan from that documentation. In either case, the document we produce will be specific to your building.
Is a fire evacuation plan a legal requirement?
Yes. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires the responsible person to have documented fire safety arrangements, which includes an evacuation plan. For premises with ten or more employees, the significant findings must be recorded in writing. The fire authority expects to see a current, site-specific evacuation plan as part of any audit. Its absence is a finding that can result in an enforcement notice.
How often does an evacuation plan need to be updated?
Whenever there is a material change to the building, its use, or its occupancy — refurbishment, new tenants, changes to escape routes, changes in staffing levels, or following any fire or near-miss. At minimum, the plan should be reviewed annually as part of the fire risk assessment review cycle. See our article on how often a fire risk assessment should be reviewed — the same triggers apply to the evacuation plan.
What areas do you cover?
We produce fire evacuation plans across the full North West, North Wales, Shropshire, and Staffordshire — the same coverage area as our fire risk assessments. See our regional coverage page for the full list of areas.
Get your fire evacuation plan produced.
Tell us your premises type and location. We will produce a site-specific plan that meets FSO requirements. Fixed price of £295.
Fletcher Risk Management Ltd is registered in England. This page provides general guidance on fire evacuation plan obligations under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and does not constitute legal advice specific to your premises.