We are grateful for all the feedback we received through the consultation, all of which has been considered. We have provided an explanation and rationale for the changes made in the table below.
Approved Standard
Take a look at the Fire Standard that was published following your feedback to the consultation.
Consultation
DESIRED OUTCOME
| You Said | We Did |
|---|---|
| Consider retaining "robust" as well as "varied" fire protection interventions. | The term “robust” has been reintroduced into the desired outcome to reflect the need for strong and comprehensive fire protection measures. |
| Consider adding 'including any persons who have control of the premises to any extent.' | This wording is too prescriptive for the Standard. However, a glossary entry for “stakeholders” has been added to provide clarity. |
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We would like to see profession added to the text, as below: “One with a competent, professional protection workforce aligned to the needs of its community risk management plan, utilising data and business intelligence to demonstrate efficient and effective use of resources.” |
This change was not included, as the term was considered too ambiguous and difficult to define within the context of the Standard. |
| Consider reviewing the use of the term “equitably” as it may not be understood by all. | A glossary definition for “equity” has now been included in the Standard to ensure a shared understanding. |
WHAT IS REQUIRED TO MEET THE FIRE STANDARD
| You Said | We Did |
|---|---|
| Point 1 should also include the Fire and Rescue Authority. | This suggestion was not accepted, as the Standards apply to the fire and rescue service rather than the Authority. |
| In the current Standard, point 2 is based on the outcome, whereas the revision appears to place greater emphasis on the process. | This feedback was accepted. It was acknowledged that both the outcome and the process are equally important, and point 2 has been amended to reflect this balance. |
| Under point 4 (previously point 6), could the Standard specify which activities must be undertaken “as necessary and at all times” to better support budgeting? | This was declined as such detail would be too prescriptive for a Fire Standard. |
| Consider reinstating the sub‑points for Primary Authority Schemes and Unwanted Fire Signals. | This suggestion was declined because including these details was considered too prescriptive and not achievable for all services. However, it was noted that these activities can still support achievement of the Standard’s desired outcome. |
| Point 5 (previously point 7) should reference inclusive advice and education. | This feedback was accepted and the term “inclusive” has been incorporated. |
| Positive action should be included alongside recruitment and training. | This was declined as positive action is considered too prescriptive for this specific Standard and is applicable across all roles within a service; it is therefore better addressed in other Standards. |
| Could consideration of budget or financial capacity be added to the wording on succession planning, as this is a long and costly process that can be challenging in practice? | Reference to budgets was considered too prescriptive for this Standard. The working group noted that the point relates primarily to workforce planning, which aligns with wording used in other Standards. |
| There is disagreement with the change from “should” to “may” in item 15/16, as all FRSs should endeavour to contribute to wider regional/national activity and engage with NFCC to support their function. | This point was agreed and the wording has been reverted to “should.” |
EXPECTED BENEFITS OF ACHIEVING THE FIRE STANDARD
| You Said | We Did |
|---|---|
| This section would benefit from an additional point on “providing greater awareness of fire safety within the business community and application of fire safety regulation,” as a broader benefit than the more focused aim of improving regulatory compliance under item 3. | While this suggestion was recognised, it was considered too broad and difficult to measure without greater specificity. However, the concept of reducing risk has been incorporated into Benefit 1 to strengthen the overall intent. |
LEGAL REQUIREMENTS OR MANDATORY DUTIES
| You Said | We Did |
|---|---|
| One of the major drivers, beyond social and economic factors, is the increasing focus on environmental issues and protection. These areas are measurable, recordable, and reportable, and communities now have a greater understanding of, and higher expectations around, environmental responsibility. Environmental protection is regularly discussed as part of our daily activities. | The Environmental Protection Act has been added to the overarching legislation to reflect this important area. |
| While the list is acknowledged as non‑exhaustive, it feels appropriate to reference the Building Regulations alongside the Building Act, or include wording such as “Building Act (as supported by the Building Regulations)” or “Building Act (and associated Regulations)” to encompass all relevant regulations used by Fire Safety staff. Alternatively, remove legislation where Fire and Rescue Services are not the enforcing authority and instead provide a link to wider legislation. | The wording “and associated regulations” has been added alongside the Building Act to provide broader legislative coverage. |
| Include RPEEPs regulations. | The RPEEPs regulations have been added, with the clarification “not yet enacted.” |
| Add the following legislation: Fire & Rescue Services Act; Equality Act 2010; Fire Safety (Employees’ Capabilities) (England) Regulations 2010; Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties & Public Authorities) Regulations 2017; Data Protection Act; GDPR; Health & Safety at Work Act; Housing Act. | The Fire Safety (Employees’ Capabilities) (England) Regulations 2010 have been included. The remaining legislation applies more broadly across all Standards and therefore remains within the overarching list. |
| The Victims of Crime Code and Licensing Act should be accompanied by short explanatory context to clarify their relevance to protection functions. | This was not included, as adding explanations for individual pieces of legislation would be inconsistent with the approach taken in other Standards. |
LINKED QUALIFICATIONS, ACCREDITATIONS, OR FIRE STANDARDS
| You Said | We Did |
|---|---|
| The title should match the order of content in this section, or the content should be reordered to reflect the title. For example, if Fire Standards appear first, the title could be “Fire Standards, Linked Qualifications and Accreditations.” | The content within this section has been reordered to align with the existing title. |
| The Standard refers to accreditation in general terms. More specific terminology should be used to encourage regulators to improve their awareness of accreditation—for example, by explicitly referencing the Fire Risk Auditors Register. | This was not adopted, as including such specific references was considered too prescriptive for a Fire Standard. |
| The current Standard mandates minimum qualification requirements for each protection role, but the new Standard does not appear to do so. Setting minimum qualification requirements ensures that only appropriately qualified personnel undertake interventions and inspections based on their competency rather than job title. | Minimum qualification requirements are already defined within the Competency Framework. Including them in this Standard would duplicate existing guidance. |
| Add the following qualifications: “Legal Skills Level 7” and the “Level 2 Award in Fire Safety in Carrying Out Fire Safety Checks.” | The Level 2 Award has been added. The Level 7 qualification was not included as it was considered too broad for the scope of this Standard. |
| Consider adding a list of additional training required under the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) for inspecting higher‑risk occupancies. | This was not included, as the training requirements for bespoke or complex buildings vary significantly and would result in an overly long and potentially incomplete list. |
GUIDANCE AND SUPPORTING INFORMATION
| You Said | We Did |
|---|---|
| The revised section provides improved clarity, structure, and alignment with relevant statutory and NFCC guidance. It is recommended that a small number of key practitioner resources—such as the NFCC Primary Authority Partnerships, Unwanted Fire Signals guidance, and the Fire and Rescue National Framework for England—are reintroduced or signposted to ensure the Standard remains comprehensive and practical for implementation. Including these resources would maintain simplicity while enhancing accessibility and completeness for all fire and rescue services. | A link to the overarching NFCC guidance page—covering all relevant topics—has been added to support ease of access and long‑term maintainability of the Standard. |
| Government guidance includes guidance notes (currently 1, 2, and 3) issued to enforcing authorities under the FSO, one of which was recently updated. These notes are issued under Article 26 rather than Article 50. | This has been updated to reflect the overarching guidance. |
| MHCLG has also published Remediation Enforcement Guidance for regulators to support fire and rescue services and others in managing remediation risks in the residential built environment as part of their protection activity. | This guidance has now been incorporated. |