London is a breath-taking city, where modernity and history meet. We are proud to serve in such an architecturally rich environment, which reflects the rich history of our city.
However, London Fire Brigade knows that because of their construction and layout, fires in these buildings can spread more quickly.
For advice on writing a heritage Fire Risk Assessment, Emergency Response Plan, a Salvage Plan, or to contact our expert Heritage team, visit:
Fire safety in historical and heritage buildingsWithin our Fire Safety Team, we have heritage protection experts who work with museums, art galleries and buildings of historic importance.
The Heritage Team work across London to offer support and advice so that organisations can develop a suitable salvage plan.
A salvage plan is a document that identifies objects that need to be removed and how this should be done. It helps our firefighters to:
The plan uses a template that an organisation can use to list their top 10 items, with pictures, a zone map and information on the weight so we know how many firefighters are needed to lift it.
If a fire station has a heritage building on its fire ground there are several copies of the salvage plans and crews are expected to familiarise themselves with the plans.
We continue to engage with Historic England and other relevant heritage stakeholders to identify risk and to provide fire prevention advice, support and guidance in relation to salvage plans.
If you live and/or work within buildings that have a historic significance or within buildings that need some form of salvage arrangements, you can find further information in Guidance Note 80 - Heritage and Buildings of Special Interest, and our letter of advice:
We are also proud to care for an exceptional collection of historical artefacts that tell the story of firefighting and firefighters from the past. From The Great Fire of London to objects used to fight fires, the early Brigades to fires that changed history, there's much to explore on our Museum pages.