Evacuation policies explained

The Stay Put procedure is used in buildings that have been designed to safely stop fire and smoke spreading, with specially designed doors and floors. Each flat becomes its own fire-resistant box – this is known as compartmentation, and means it’s very rare for a fire in one flat to affect another. 

By staying put in your home, the fire and rescue service can more easily do their job putting out the fire. 

If evacuation is required, those residents in the immediate area of the fire can evacuate first.

If the alarm sounds and you are in your flat, close all the windows and doors and stay put. Your home is designed to resist fire for 60 minutes, so you will be safe inside until the fire brigade arrives. 

Only leave your flat if it is affected by fire or smoke or when you are advised to do so by the fire and rescue service.

If the fire is in your home or you’re in a communal area when the alarm sounds, then leave immediately. 

1. Close the doors behind you

2. Raise the alarm 

3. Follow the green exit signs

4. Never use the lifts or stop to collect belongings

5. Once you are somewhere safe, call 999

6. Remain a safe distance away from the building and don’t go back inside until you are told it is safe to do so

Leave as soon as you hear the alarm.

1. Do not stop to collect any of your belongings, just leave as safely and as quickly as possible

2. Follow the green exit signs in the building

3. Never use the lifts 

4. Once you are somewhere safe, call 999

5. Remain a safe distance away from the building and don’t go back inside until you are told it is safe to do so

Plan ahead to work out the safest route to evacuate your home, so everyone in your home will know what to do in an emergency, especially at night. 

To set up your escape plan:

• decide the full route you would take out of your home from your bedroom to a safe place outside

• think about what you would do with anyone in your home who might need extra help, like older family members or people with disabilities

• include alternative routes if you can, in case the way is blocked

• make sure that everyone knows where to gather once they are outside

• tell everyone about the fire escape plan and practice it from time to time

If your smoke alarm goes off in the middle of the night, remember: stop, think, act!

1. Wake up everyone in your home and make your way out together through the nearest exit, or follow your escape plan

2. Once you are safely outside, call 999 

3. Stay out of your house until the fire and rescue service tells you it is safe to return

If you hear your smoke alarm or see fire, remember the fire service motto: Get out, stay out, call 999.

We regularly carry out fire safety checks on your home to keep you and your family safe.

These include:

• weekly fire alarm tests

• fire risk assessments of communal areas to make sure they comply with fire legislation

• checking escape routes are clear

• seeing if your front door meets fire safety standards

• fitting special heat and smoke detectors

• annual check-ups on heat and smoke detectors if they’re linked to a fire panel

• making sure fire safety signs are up to date

We must do these by law. You can help us do these checks by keeping communal areas free of clutter, allowing our teams to carry out risk assessments, and not removing any safety information displayed.

If you’d like to carry out your own fire safety checks, follow this step-by-step guide from Safelincs, or email our fire and safety team at fireandsafetyteam@accentgroup.org.

You can also contact your local fire service for more information.