Provision of fire alarms and fire extinguishers

Fire safety legislation states that, within buildings, there must be means for giving warning of and fighting fires.

A fire warning system will alert occupants to a fire incident and allow the emergency fire evacuation plan to be implemented. In small properties where an outbreak of fire may be immediately obvious, activating a hand-operated sounder or shouting: ‘Fire!' from any one point in the building may be sufficient to raise the warning to all occupants.

In larger, more complex properties, particularly in buildings with more than one floor or those that are multi-occupied, a shout from any single point in the building might not be sufficient to raise the warning to all occupants simultaneously, and so a manual or automatic integrated electrical fire system may be required.

Means to fight fire should be provided by portable fire extinguishers, located at key points throughout the building. Suppressing or extinguishing small fires by the use of portable fire extinguishers will in turn reduce the potential harm to individuals within premises and can protect the fabric of the building from potentially extensive fire damage. It is therefore beneficial that key personnel are familiar with the location, type and use of the portable fire extinguishers provided to each building.

Further advice and information regarding the provision of automatic fire detection and firefighting equipment within congregational properties can be obtained from either the Church of Scotland General Trustees or the COSIS.