Enforcement of means of escape under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

The request was partially successful.

Dear Avon Fire and Rescue,

Please provide under Freedom of Information:

1. The number of low, medium and high-rise residential buildings in your area (or your current/best estimate of them) covered by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

2. The total number of deficiency and/or enforcement notices served to the owners of these buildings relating to means of escape (Articles 14(2)(b) & 15 (1)(b)), since the 30th October 2019 to the date of this FOI

3. The number of deficiency and/or enforcement notices served to the owners of these buildings specifically relating to the identification of vulnerable and disabled residents, and planning for their escape (Articles 14(2)(b) & 15 (1)(b)), since the 30th October 2019 to the date of this FOI

3. Copies of the notices referred to in (3)

4. The fire authority's current policy covering the evacuation of disabled people from multi-occupancy buildings during a fire

Yours faithfully,

Elspeth Grant

Freedom of Information Act & Data Protection Requests, Avon Fire and Rescue

1 Attachment

Dear Ms Grant

 

Your request has been assigned reference number 2021T030; please can you
quote this in any contact with us about this matter.

 

Please note that all requests dealt under the Freedom of Information Act
(FoIA) 2000 are subject to the information not being exempt or containing
a reference to a third party. Guidance about how we deal with requests for
information can be located on our [1]website.

 

The statutory timescale to respond to requests processed under the terms
of the FoIA is 20 working days, however there may be a delay in collating
the information due to the current COVID-19 situation. We will keep you
updated regarding the progress of your request at the earliest
opportunity. The Information Commissioner recognises that more time may be
needed, as we have to prioritise other work to keep services running
during this challenging period.

 

Avon Fire & Rescue Service would like to thank you for your patience.

 

Kind regards

 

Joanna Warren
Data Protection Co-ordinator (Mon-Thurs), Corporate Services
Avon Fire & Rescue Service
Telephone: 0117 926 2061 Extension: 302
[mobile number]
[2]www.avonfire.gov.uk
Working smoke alarms save lives
Help save a tree - please do not print this email unless you really need
to.
[3]cid:image001.jpg@01D76786.FE2E6150

 

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Freedom of Information Act & Data Protection Requests, Avon Fire and Rescue

3 Attachments

Dear Ms Grant

 

I write in response to your request for information dated 22.06.2021
concerning Enforcement of Means of Escape under the Regulatory Reform
(Fire Safety) Order 2005.

 

Your request for information has been dealt with under the terms of the
Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FoIA) and I can confirm Avon Fire &
Rescue Service holds some of the information falling within the
description specified within your request.

 

Please find below the information I have identified that relates to your
request for:

 

1. The number of low, medium and high-rise residential buildings in your
area (or your current/best estimate of them) covered by the Regulatory
Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

AF&RS currently have approximately 7000 buildings within our Service area
which are covered by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

2. The total number of deficiency and/or enforcement notices served to the
owners of these buildings relating to means of escape (Articles 14(2)(b) &
15 (1)(b)), since the 30th October 2019 to the date of this FOI

Any Enforcement notices served can be obtained via the National Fire
Chiefs Council (NFCC) website, where the Public Register for Enforcements
is published. [1]https://www.nationalfirechiefs.org.uk/. Enforcement
Notices can be found under the ‘our work’ tab. Once you have located the
correct page, you can filter the required notice issue date and Fire &
Rescue Service, as per the example below:

 

[2]cid:image002.png@01D76C0F.55FB70D0

 

In addition, you may also like to visit the Home Office (.GOV.UK)
statistics page for Fire regarding prevention and protection activities
(Fire Safety Audits table FIRE1202 and Fire Safety Returns table
FIRE1204).
[3]https://www.gov.uk/government/statistica...
.  There is a drop down at the top of the table to select which Fire &
Rescue Service and year:

 

[4]cid:image003.png@01D76C11.308A8FF0

 

 

3. The number of deficiency and/or enforcement notices served to the
owners of these buildings specifically relating to the identification of
vulnerable and disabled residents, and planning for their escape (Articles
14(2)(b) & 15 (1)(b)), since the  30th October 2019 to the date of this
FOI

As above websites will detail what Articles of the Enforcement Notice
which are not compliant.

 

4. The fire authority's current policy covering the evacuation of disabled
people from multi-occupancy buildings during a fire
We currently do not hold an Evacuation Policy that is specifically
targeted for disabled residents from multi-occupied premises, however,
this work is currently being formulated by a AF&RS High Rise working
group. This group also sit on the NFCC to ensure national collaboration.

 

Please note as the information we hold for questions 2 and 3 is already
available to you, we are not obliged to provide it again under Section 21
of the FoIA – Information available to the applicant by other means. This
is an absolute exemption and we are not required to apply a Public
Interest Test (PIT). 

 

This email therefore acts as a refusal notice (in relation to Q2 and Q3)
under Section 17 of FOIA.

 

For further guidance about exemptions under the FOIA, please visit the
Information Commissioner’s website
[5]ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-freedom-of-information/refusing-a-request/

 

 

I hope that you find the above information useful.

 

Guidance about how we deal with requests for information can be located on
our [6]website. AF&RS retain request correspondence for the current
financial year plus 3 years.

 

If you are unhappy with the way your request for information has been
handled, you can request an internal review by contacting the :

 

Data Protection Officer

Avon Fire & Rescue Service

Police & Fire HQ

PO Box 37

Valley Road

Portishead

North Somerset

BS20 8JJ

 

Telephone 0117 9262061, or by emailing [7][Avon Fire and Rescue request email].

 

If you are subsequently dissatisfied with the outcome of the internal
review, you will have the right of appeal to the Information Commissioner
by contacting the :

 

The Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

 

Telephone 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745

 

Website [8]www.ico.org.uk.

 

There is no charge for making an appeal.

 

Thank you for your interest in Avon Fire & Rescue Service.

 

Kind regards

 

 

Joanna Warren
Data Protection Co-ordinator (Mon-Thurs), Corporate Services
Avon Fire & Rescue Service
Telephone: 0117 926 2061 Extension: 302
[mobile number]
[9]www.avonfire.gov.uk
Working smoke alarms save lives
Help save a tree - please do not print this email unless you really need
to.
[10]cid:image001.jpg@01D76CD1.646256D0

 

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