What risks do we investigate?
We investigate serious fire risks that could cause an immediate threat to life.
Common examples
- Locked or blocked fire exits in commercial or residential properties
- Unsafe storage of chemicals or flammable materials
- Beds in areas with inadequate escape routes, for example in a takeaway basement with only one exit via the kitchen
What we don't investigate
- Bonfires in gardens - these are the responsibility of the Environmental Health department of your local council
- 'Beds in sheds' - you can report these to your local council
If you're not sure about the risk, play it safe and make a report to us. If a different organisation needs to look into it we'll let you know.
How to report a risk
Speak to your property manager or person responsible for the fire safety of your premises first. If they won't take action immediately, or you don't feel comfortable raising this concern with them, contact us:
- If possible call us on 020 8555 1200 ext 89170 - this will get the quickest response
- Or report online
We'll ask for your details, but we will not share your identity.
How we deal with your report
During office hours (Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm)
- Your call or message will go through to the Brigade Duty Fire Safety Officer
- If it doesn't meet our criteria or falls outside our jurisdiction we'll explain that
- If it meets our criteria:
- A local Fire Safety Inspecting Officer is dispatched
- They will visit the property within three hours
- They will fix the problem immediately if possible, and then carry out a full inspection of the building
Out of office hours (weekends, and weekdays between 5pm and 9am)
- Your call or message will go to our Control Room
- If it doesn't meet our criteria or falls outside our jurisdiction we'll explain that
- If it meets our criteria:
- Control will dispatch a Senior Fire Safety Officer / local fire station crew
- They will visit within three hours
- They will fix the problem immediately if possible, and then refer to the local Fire Safety Team who will carry out an inspection if necessary.
Some issues we can resolve immediately, others will take longer. But if not resolved shortly after your report, or if the risk occurs again, please get in touch with us again.
What action can we take
Once a local Fire Safety Inspecting Officer has inspected the building it will be given one of the following classifications depending on the level of risk:
- Broadly complaint - this means we'll give the person responsible for the building advice, verbally, on what they need to do, if anything
- Notification of fire deficiencies - (also called a NOD) we'll give the responsible person a written document outlining actions they need to take and a deadline for those actions. We may return to check.
- Enforcement notice - we'll give the responsible person a written document legal notice outlining actions they need to take and a deadline for those actions. We may return to check. It also goes onto a public register.
- Enforcement notice - consider prosecution - this is the same as the enforcement notice above, but we also consider whether we want to prosecute.
- Article 31 (a restriction/prohibition notice) - this is where we restrict the use of a building (for example by specifying that people can't sleep there) or block the use of a whole building, or section of building. It's a written document, legally binding, supplied to the responsible person, and displayed on the premises. We'll carry out spot checks to make sure the restriction or prohibition is being followed.
Searching the public register
If you want to find out if a property has been issued with an enforcement notice or Article 31 you can search our public register.
