Pre-Incident Planning with the Fire Brigade
Pre-incident planning with the fire brigade documents site-specific information on buildings, hazardous materials and fire protection equipment in advance, so that responders can react faster and more effectively during an incident.
Content of a pre-incident plan
A pre-incident plan records the building’s layout and construction, fire compartments, occupancy and stored hazardous materials, existing suppression and detection systems, water supply points, access routes, and particular hazards such as photovoltaic installations or high-combustible-load storage areas. This information is prepared in a standardised format that the fire brigade can read quickly – often as a fire brigade plan following recognised standards – and is updated whenever structural or occupancy changes occur.
Working with the fire brigade
The plan is usually prepared by the fire safety officer in coordination with the local fire brigade, which uses it for response preparation and during the incident itself. At sites with an in-house, non-public fire brigade, pre-incident planning complements the operational emergency management system and additionally governs the handover to the public fire brigade in major events.
Relevance for insurance
A short, effective firefighting time significantly limits property damage and business interruption losses; up-to-date pre-incident plans are therefore a key factor in a site’s actual level of protection. During a risk survey, property insurers check whether pre-incident plans exist, are current, and are coordinated with the fire brigade.
Standards and codes
- FM Data Sheet 10-1: Pre-Incident and Emergency Response Planning
- NFPA 1620 – Standard for Pre-Incident Planning