Fire Strategy Development, Fire Statements & Design Stage Fire Safety Support
Fire Strategy Development
Design & Gateway Support
Risk-Based Fire Engineering Assessments
Project Overview
Gilfillan Murray Consulting Ltd was commissioned to develop fire strategies and provide design-stage fire safety support for both existing buildings and new developments across residential, healthcare, commercial, industrial and public sector projects.
The commissions ranged from retrospective fire strategies for buildings where no formal strategy existed through to new-build developments progressing through planning, design, Gateway and construction stages. Many projects involved complex refurbishment works, change-of-use proposals, occupied buildings and developments where fire safety requirements needed to be integrated alongside architectural, structural, operational and commercial objectives.
The work regularly included the preparation of Fire Strategies, Fire Statements, design reviews, Gateway support and technical assessments required to support planning, design development and project delivery. The objective was to establish a clear fire safety framework capable of supporting the building throughout its lifecycle whilst remaining proportionate to the specific risks, constraints and operational requirements of the project.
Establishing a Clear Fire Safety Framework for the Entire Building Lifecycle
Providing a documented and defensible basis for design, construction, occupation, refurbishment and future compliance decision-making.
The Challenge
A recurring challenge was that many buildings did not have a documented fire strategy, whilst others had evolved significantly since the original design was approved.
Refurbishments, extensions, changes of use, tenant alterations and evolving operational requirements often resulted in a situation where the original fire safety philosophy no longer reflected the building as occupied. In some cases, historical information was incomplete or unavailable. In others, the building had been developed in phases with multiple consultants contributing to different aspects of the design over many years.
For new developments, the challenge was different. Design teams frequently needed to balance fire safety requirements against site constraints, planning requirements, commercial objectives and architectural aspirations. Decisions affecting compartmentation, escape routes, smoke control, firefighting access and structural fire protection often had implications for multiple disciplines and required careful coordination throughout the design process.
The commission therefore required the development of a fire safety framework that reflected how the building would actually function, rather than relying solely on theoretical compliance with individual guidance documents.
Our Approach
Each strategy was developed by first establishing a clear understanding of the building, its occupants, its intended use and the fire safety objectives that needed to be achieved.
Existing reports, surveys, certification records and management information were reviewed to identify gaps, inconsistencies and areas requiring further investigation. Where information was unavailable or incomplete, this was clearly recorded rather than assumed.
For existing buildings, the review focused on understanding how the building currently operated and how fire safety measures interacted with the construction, occupancy profile and management arrangements. Means of escape, compartmentation, fire resistance, active fire protection systems, firefighting facilities and operational procedures were assessed to establish a coherent and defensible fire safety position.
For new developments, the strategy formed part of the wider design process, enabling fire safety considerations to be coordinated alongside architectural, structural and building services design.
Where benchmark guidance could not be followed directly, structured qualitative fire engineering assessments were undertaken in accordance with the principles of BS 7974. This allowed identified deviations, existing constraints and proposed mitigation measures to be evaluated through documented risk assessments, justification matrices and ALARP reviews. The process provided a transparent basis for determining whether the proposed arrangement continued to satisfy the intended fire safety objective.
The resulting strategy was designed to support decision-making throughout design, construction, occupation and future building alteration.
Strategic Impact
A fire strategy often becomes the single most important fire safety document associated with a building. It provides the foundation upon which future design decisions, maintenance activities, refurbishment projects, compliance reviews and regulatory submissions are based.
The commissions demonstrated the importance of establishing a clear and documented fire safety philosophy at an early stage and maintaining that philosophy throughout the life of the building. Without a coherent strategy, individual decisions relating to compartmentation, means of escape, fire stopping, smoke control or active fire protection can become disconnected from the overall fire safety objectives of the project.
The work also demonstrated the value of structured qualitative assessment methodologies in situations where strict compliance with benchmark guidance was not achievable. By documenting risks, safeguards, mitigation measures and residual risk positions, the strategy provided stakeholders with a clear understanding of why particular solutions had been adopted and how they contributed to the overall safety of the building.
Outcomes
The completed fire strategies provided clients, design teams and building owners with a documented framework that could be relied upon throughout the life of the building.
For existing buildings, the work established a clear understanding of the fire safety principles supporting continued occupation, future maintenance and planned refurbishment activities. For new developments, the strategy provided a coordinated basis for design progression, regulatory engagement and construction delivery.
The documented assessments, justification matrices and risk evaluations also enabled stakeholders to understand the implications of identified deviations, building constraints and alternative solutions before significant design or investment decisions were made.
Most importantly, the completed strategies provided a practical and defensible route forward for projects that might otherwise have become delayed by uncertainty, conflicting interpretations of guidance or unresolved fire safety issues.
