> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.riskbase.uk/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.riskbase.uk/fire-strategy/what-is-fire-strategy.md).

# What is Fire Strategy?

A Fire Strategy is a written document that sets out how a building achieves an acceptable standard of fire safety. It describes the protective measures in place — means of warning and escape, internal and external fire spread protection, facilities for the fire service — and explains how those measures perform against a recognised benchmark such as Approved Document B (ADB), BS 9991, BS 9999, or CP3.

A Fire Strategy is distinct from a Fire Risk Assessment (FRA). An FRA is an operational assessment of hazards and the actions required to reduce them. A Fire Strategy is the underlying design rationale: why the building's fire safety provisions are configured the way they are, where they meet the benchmark, where they fall short, and how any shortfalls are justified or mitigated.

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## Who reads a Fire Strategy

* **Responsible persons and building owners** rely on it to understand what fire safety provisions exist and what the ongoing obligations are.
* **Fire engineers** use it as the technical basis for design changes, refurbishments, and alterations.
* **Approving authorities** — Building Control and the Fire and Rescue Service — review it during plans approval, regulatory inspections, and incident investigations.
* **Regulators under the Building Safety Act (BSA)** — most directly the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) for higher-risk buildings — expect a current Fire Strategy as part of the safety case for in-scope buildings.

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## When a Fire Strategy is required

A Fire Strategy is required, or strongly expected, in a number of circumstances:

* For higher-risk buildings under the BSA, where the safety case must demonstrate how fire risks are being managed.
* During the design and approval of new buildings, where Building Control needs evidence that the design meets the relevant benchmark.
* During refurbishment, change of use, or material alteration of an existing building.
* Following major incidents or regulatory action, where an updated strategy is needed to capture remediation.

Beyond legal triggers, a current Fire Strategy is increasingly regarded as part of competent ongoing fire safety management for any complex or multi-occupancy building.

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## What a Fire Strategy contains

At a minimum, a Fire Strategy describes:

* **The building** — purpose group, height, layout, occupancy, and key structural and protection features.
* **The benchmark applied** — the edition of ADB, BS 9991, BS 9999, CP3, or other guidance the strategy is measured against.
* **The provisions in each area of fire safety** — means of warning and escape, internal fire spread (linings and structure), external fire spread, access for the fire service.
* **A narrative professional judgement** — for each area, whether the building meets the benchmark and, if not, how the shortfall is justified or mitigated.
* **Remedial actions** — where shortfalls cannot be justified, the actions required to bring the building up to standard.

A strategy is most useful when it is current, structured, and tied to the underlying building data, so that it can be reused across subsequent assessments rather than re-described from scratch each time.

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## Related documents

A Fire Strategy sits alongside several other fire safety documents that share the same underlying building information:

* **Fire Risk Assessments (FRAs)** — operational risk assessments under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order.
* **Door surveys, compartmentation surveys, and asset inspections** — focused condition assessments for specific protection measures.
* **Action plans and remedial tracking** — the ongoing management view of all open fire safety actions across a building.

For RiskBase's specific approach to producing Fire Strategies, see *The RiskBase Fire Strategy*. For step-by-step instructions on completing one in the RiskBase app, see *How To: Completing a Fire Strategy*.


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