Had a visit or letter from the fire service?

What the fire service can do

East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service and West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service carry out fire safety audits of business premises and the shared parts of residential buildings. After a visit you might receive:

• Informal advice or a letter listing things to improve, usually with a date for a follow-up.
• An enforcement notice requiring specific failings to be put right within a set period.
• An alteration notice requiring you to tell the fire service before making certain changes to the premises.
• A prohibition notice restricting or stopping use of all or part of a building where there's a serious risk to life.

What to do now

• Read the letter or notice carefully and note every deadline.
• Find your current fire risk assessment and any maintenance records.
• Deal with anything urgent straight away, such as blocked escape routes or faulty alarms.
• Call us. We'll explain what the document means in plain English.

How we help

We'll review the letter or notice and your existing paperwork, then carry out a new or updated fire risk assessment. You'll get a realistic, prioritised action plan that addresses exactly what the inspector raised, and we can help you communicate progress to the fire service.

As a qualified lawyer bringing extensive enforcement and compliance experience, including local authority and fire service enforcement, Simon understands both the safety and the legal side. We're fire safety consultants rather than solicitors, so if formal legal representation is needed, we'll tell you straight away.

Common questions