What Does a Fire Safety Plan (FSP) Contain?

A Fire Safety Plan (FSP) is much more than an evacuation diagram posted near an elevator or a short list of instructions to follow when the fire alarm sounds. It is a structured set of measures designed to prepare occupants and responsible personnel to respond effectively to a fire and to ensure that the building's fire-safety measures can be properly implemented.

A Fire Safety Plan Is Much More Than an Evacuation Plan

In practice, the term “Fire Safety Plan” is sometimes used to describe a very basic document containing emergency telephone numbers, a few instructions and evacuation diagrams.

A proper FSP goes much further.

It should make it possible to understand who does what, when and how when a fire emergency occurs. It establishes the measures to be implemented, assigns responsibilities, takes the characteristics of the building into account and documents the information required for preparedness and response.

The 2020 edition of the National Fire Code also reorganized and consolidated Fire Safety Plan requirements in order to facilitate compliance and enforcement.

Which Buildings Require a Fire Safety Plan?

It would be inaccurate to state that every building in Quebec requires exactly the same type of FSP.

The scope of fire emergency measures is established by Section 2.8 of the NFC, together with the amendments adopted in Quebec.

Quebec's amended provisions apply emergency-planning requirements to various buildings and situations covered by the Code. They notably extend the application to buildings equipped with a fire alarm system, whether that system is required or installed voluntarily.

Additional requirements may also apply to particular occupancies and building configurations, including certain care, treatment or detention occupancies, private seniors' residences, assembly occupancies and high buildings.

What Should a Fire Safety Plan Contain?

The exact structure depends on the building and the requirements that apply to it. An FSP developed around the provisions of the NFC will, however, generally address several major categories of information.

1. Actions to Take When a Fire Occurs

The operational core of an FSP is the set of measures that must be implemented when a fire is discovered or a fire alarm signal is received.

The plan should make it clear how the actions applicable to the building are to be carried out, including for example:

• activating or responding to the fire alarm;
• notifying the fire department;
• providing the necessary instructions to occupants;
• implementing the established evacuation measures;
• assisting persons who require additional support;
• implementing the responsibilities of supervisory staff;
• preparing for the arrival and support of the fire department.

An effective FSP therefore transforms regulatory requirements into clear and practical actions.

2. Supervisory Staff

Supervisory staff play a central role in many Fire Safety Plans.

The plan should clearly define the functions assigned to them and allow the people concerned to understand their responsibilities before an emergency occurs.

Depending on the characteristics of the building, these responsibilities may include fire alarm procedures, communications, evacuation, operation of certain systems, coordination of occupants and liaison with the fire department.

3. Building Plans and Technical Information

To be operationally useful, an FSP should also provide enough information to understand the building to which its procedures apply.

In a complete documentation package, this will generally include relevant information allowing users to identify:

• storeys and major areas of the building;
• exits and means of egress;
• major fire-protection systems and equipment;
• relevant alarm panels and control facilities;
• areas presenting specific fire hazards;
• access routes useful to emergency responders;
• information required to quickly locate an incident.

The amount and level of detail should be adapted to the building and the requirements applicable to it.

4. High Buildings Require Additional Measures

Not all Fire Safety Plans are identical.

High buildings provide a good example of why the plan must be adapted to the building.

Quebec amendments to the NFC require additional information in the Fire Safety Plans of high buildings, including matters relating to:

• training of supervisory staff in the use of the voice communication system;
• procedures governing the use of elevators;
• operation of smoke control systems and other emergency systems;
• instructions required by supervisory staff and the fire department concerning these systems.

This distinction illustrates why a universal FSP template is not sufficient: the document must reflect the actual systems and characteristics of the building.

5. The Copy Reserved for the Fire Department

A Fire Safety Plan is not merely an administrative document stored in the property manager's files.

The applicable provisions also require a copy to be available to the fire department.

In Quebec, for a high building, the copy reserved for the fire department must be kept at the central alarm and control facility. In other cases covered by the requirements, it must be kept at a location determined in cooperation with the fire department.

6. Distribution, Posting and Accessibility

Portions of the Fire Safety Plan must also be communicated to the people concerned.

Fire-safety documentation may therefore include several levels of information: a complete master plan, instructions for supervisory staff, occupant instructions, posted information and the copy reserved for the fire department.

Producing a PDF and storing it in a shared folder is therefore not enough. Organizations must also consider how the information will be distributed, understood and accessed.

7. The FSP Must Be Adapted to the Building

Two office buildings may appear similar and still require substantially different Fire Safety Plans.

This is why preparing an FSP should begin with the collection and validation of building information rather than the mechanical completion of a generic template.

8. Should an FSP Address Other Emergency Scenarios?

The FSP is primarily dedicated to fire safety.

An organization may nevertheless face many other events, including medical emergencies, major utility failures, gas leaks, hazardous material spills, flooding, security threats, severe weather and other disruptions.

These situations are more appropriately addressed through a broader multi-hazard framework such as an Emergency Response Plan (ERP).

9. How Often Should a Fire Safety Plan Be Updated?

A Fire Safety Plan is not a document that should be produced once and then left unchanged for several years.

The NFC requires the Fire Safety Plan to be reviewed at intervals not greater than 12 months to account for changes in the use and other characteristics of the building.

In practice, it is also appropriate to review the plan whenever a change occurs that may affect its content.

For example:

• changes in responsible personnel;
• changes in emergency contact information;
• major construction or renovations;
• changes to exits or means of egress;
• changes in occupancy;
• changes to a fire-protection system;
• new hazards or activities;
• lessons learned from a drill or an actual event.

10. Why Do Fire Safety Plans Become Outdated So Quickly?

The most common problem is not necessarily the quality of the Fire Safety Plan when it is first produced.

It is what happens after delivery.

A manager changes. A telephone number is updated. A tenant moves out. A floor is renovated. A procedure changes. A person assigned an emergency role leaves the organization.

The building continues to evolve while the document sometimes remains frozen in time.

How CORO Structures a Fire Safety Plan

CORO approaches the FSP as a set of structured data, responsibilities, procedures and document components rather than as an isolated Word file.

Information relating to the building, fire-safety systems, responsible personnel, emergency teams and procedures can be centralized to facilitate both document production and ongoing maintenance.

This approach also makes it possible to reuse common information in other compliance documents where appropriate, while preserving the requirements specific to the Fire Safety Plan.

In Summary: What Should a Good FSP Make Possible?

Beyond regulatory compliance, a sound Fire Safety Plan should allow an organization to quickly answer several fundamental questions:

• What should we do when the fire alarm activates?
• Who is responsible for each emergency function?
• How are occupants informed and evacuated?
• How do we assist people who require additional support?
• Which fire-safety systems must be operated?
• How is the fire department received and supported?
• Where can emergency information be found?
• Does supervisory staff actually understand its role?
• Does the plan still reflect the current reality of the building?

If these answers are difficult to find or depend only on the knowledge of a few individuals, the Fire Safety Plan probably deserves to be reviewed.