Fire safety

Person pushing button to test fire alarm in the ceiling

Your safety is our absolute priority. This page has important information about fire safety. It explains how we keep our customers safe and what steps you can take to protect your home and loved ones. By working together, we share the responsibility to reduce the risk of a fire in your home or building.

Our responsibilities

We have a duty to comply with fire safety regulations, including carrying out regular checks, servicing and repairs to help keep you and your home safe.

We will inspect and test carbon monoxide, smoke and heat alarms in your home annually. This is usually carried out at the same time as your gas safety check. If we find any faults, we will repair or replace the alarms. If you are worried that an alarm isn’t working, please contact us.

We will also carry out a full electrical safety check (EICR) in your home at the start of your tenancy and then at regular 5-yearly intervals.

Additionally, in blocks of flats and schemes:

We will carry out fire risk assessments in your block
- - This is to identify potential fire hazards, ensure there are adequate measures to prevent a fire starting, and ensure adequate fire safety measures to keep all building residents and visitors safe from fire.
  - It includes ensuring communal areas have appropriate and fully functioning smoke detectors and fire alarms, fire doors and other fire safety measures such as emergency lighting and smoke ventilation.
  - These are carried out annually in sheltered schemes and care homes, and every three years in all other blocks.
  - Fire risk assessments are displayed on noticeboards and are available on request.
Every year, we send a fire safety information letter to customers explaining what do to if there is a fire in your home or building and advice on keeping homes and communal areas safe from fire.
Every week, we carry out a fire alarm test in blocks fitted with a communal alarm. Four times a year, our specialist contractors will fully service the system.
Every month, in the communal areas, we check that:
- - emergency lighting is working and in good repair
  - any automatic opening vents (AOVs) are working and in good repair
  - escape doors leading to the outside will fully open in an emergency
  - communal areas, external routes and paths are safe, clear and in good condition
  - fire signage, including the emergency fire procedure, is correct and in good repair
  - service cupboards and riser cupboards are locked and clear of items.

Working alongside Dorset & Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service, we also ensure we are doing all we can to maintain and improve fire safety in our customers’ homes.

What you can do to keep your home safe

Fire safety is everyone’s responsibility, and you can help us to keep your family, friends and neighbours safe by familiarising yourself with the advice below.

Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms: Test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms weekly to make sure they are working. If they are working correctly, pressing the test button will make the alarm sound for 10–20 seconds and then stop. Never cover, remove, or disconnect smoke or carbon monoxide alarms. If your detector is not working properly or starts to beep, please contact us for advice.
Make sure you have an escape plan and that everyone in your home knows how to get out in the event of a fire. The best route is usually your normal way in and out of the home, but you should also plan a second escape route in case the main one is blocked by fire. Keep all escape routes and exits clear and make sure keys for windows and doors are easy to find.
Safe appliances: Over half of accidental domestic fires in the UK are caused by electricity, most of them due to faulty or misused electrical appliances. Read our electrical safety page for tips on using electricity safely and see the additional links at the bottom of this page.
Battery safety: Lithium-ion (Li-ion) rechargeable batteries power many household products, from e-bikes and scooters to laptops, mobility scooters, mobile phones, and vapes. These batteries are increasingly linked to serious house fires and fatalities. See our battery safety in your home article for advice on how to protect your home and loved ones.
Dorset & Wiltshire and Devon & Somerset fire and rescue services offer home fire safety visits, to give advice on keeping your household safe from risk of fire.

If you live in a flat or shared building

If you live in a flat or shared building, please read the extra advice and procedures below to help keep you and your neighbours safe. The risk of a fire in your home isn’t higher than usual, but in the unlikely event that one occurs, there are specific steps you must follow for your building type.

Our blocks of flats and sheltered schemes have a ‘Stay Put’ policy in the event of a fire. The blocks are made of compartments that will stop fire and smoke from spreading. Care homes and support living schemes have an evacuation policy in the event of a fire. If you’re unsure which policy applies to you, contact us for advice.
Check the ‘Fire Action Notice’ displayed in the communal area where you live. You’re responsible for making sure you know what the procedure is in the event of a fire. It is critical that you and everyone living in your home is familiar with the procedure and that you create your own emergency plan based on the advice provided.
Clear corridors and exits: We have a legal duty to ensure you can escape from your building in an emergency. This includes keeping all communal areas free from combustible materials and obstructions (such as prams, bikes, and mobility scooters) that could prevent you or your neighbours from evacuating safely. If we identify obstructions, we will write to you with clear notice to remove them. If you do not remove them, we will remove them.
Fire doors: Fire doors are designed to prevent fire and smoke from spreading through the building. Always keep fire doors closed when not in use, including your front door, and never use anything to hold them open. Please report any fire door that is not closing properly to us immediately.
Report communal repairs or any other matters you think may compromise fire safety to our customer support team on 01225 715 715.
Tell us if for any reason you would find it more difficult to evacuate the building, even if for a short time.

What to do in the event of a fire at your home

If you live in a house

Shout ‘fire’ to wake or alert everyone in your household
Immediately leave your home through the nearest safe exit route closing doors behind you to slow the spread of fire
Call the fire brigade on 999 and give an exact address
Do not return to the property.

If you live in a flat

Follow the advice on the Fire Action Notice in your building entrance.
If this is a ‘stay-put’ policy, it means that if the fire is not in your home, but in another part of the building, you will be safer staying in your home unless the heat or smoke is affecting you.
If the fire is in your flat, follow the guidance above for houses: leave the building as quickly and calmly as possible, closing your flat door behind you, and do not use the lift.
Once outside, call 999.

Contact us

If you have any concerns about fire safety in your home, please contact our customer support team on 01225 715 715 .