Evacuation Strategies: Stay Put vs Simultaneous

An evacuation strategy is a building's planned approach for getting people to safety in the event of a fire. The right strategy depends on the building's design, fire protection measures, and the people who use it.

What is an evacuation strategy?

An evacuation strategy is the planned method for evacuating a building during a fire. It defines:

• Who should evacuate and when
• How people should respond to a fire alarm or discovery of fire
• Where people should go (assembly points, refuge areas)
• What role staff or wardens play in the evacuation

The strategy must be appropriate for the building's design, the fire protection measures in place, and the characteristics of the people who use it.

The main evacuation strategies

There are four main evacuation strategies used in UK buildings:

Simultaneous evacuation

Everyone leaves immediately when the alarm sounds.

This is the most common strategy and applies to most buildings:

• Offices
• Shops and retail premises
• Schools (during occupied hours)
• Restaurants and pubs
• Warehouses and factories
• Single staircase buildings
• Buildings without compartmentation

When the fire alarm activates, everyone evacuates immediately via the nearest safe exit and gathers at a predetermined assembly point.

Why it works:

• Simple and clear — everyone knows what to do
• Fastest way to ensure everyone is out
• Doesn't rely on complex fire protection systems
• Suitable when the building cannot safely contain a fire to one area

Limitations:

• Can cause congestion in large buildings
• Not practical for high-rise buildings with limited stairwells
• Can be disruptive and lead to alarm fatigue if false alarms are frequent

Stay put strategy

Residents stay in their flats unless the fire is in or directly affecting their flat.

Stay put is designed for purpose-built blocks of flats with:

• Compartmentation (fire-resistant walls and floors between flats)
• Fire doors (minimum 30-minute fire-resistant)
• Protected escape routes (enclosed staircases)
• Limited fire spread potential

The principle: Each flat is a "fire-resisting box" designed to contain fire for long enough for the fire service to arrive and tackle it. Residents not directly affected by the fire should stay in their flats, which are safer than evacuating into smoke-logged corridors or staircases.

When it's appropriate:

• Purpose-built flats (not converted buildings)
• Effective compartmentation and fire doors
• Single staircase buildings where simultaneous evacuation would cause dangerous congestion
• Buildings designed and built to support this strategy

Critical requirements:

• Fire doors must be maintained and close properly
• Compartmentation must be intact (no missing fire stopping)
• No changes that compromise fire resistance (holes in walls/floors)
• Regular inspections to ensure building integrity

Phased or progressive evacuation

Evacuation happens in stages, starting with the area nearest the fire.

Used in larger buildings with multiple floors and more than one staircase:

• Hotels
• Large care homes
• Hospitals
• Multi-storey office buildings
• Shopping centres

How it works:

1. Phase 1: The floor where the fire is located evacuates immediately, along with the floor above
2. Phase 2: If the fire spreads or isn't controlled, additional floors evacuate in sequence
3. Fire alarm systems are zoned to indicate which areas should evacuate

Why it's used:

• Prevents overcrowding in stairwells
• Allows controlled, managed evacuation
• Gives fire service better access
• Suitable for buildings where simultaneous evacuation would create dangerous congestion

Requirements:

• Multiple protected staircases
• Zoned fire alarm system
• Trained staff to manage the evacuation
• Clear communication systems

Defend in place (horizontal evacuation)

People move to a different part of the same floor, behind fire doors, rather than leaving the building.

Primarily used in healthcare settings:

• Hospitals
• Care homes
• Some residential settings for people with mobility impairments

The principle: Moving vulnerable people (bedridden, mobility impaired) down stairs is difficult and potentially dangerous. Instead, they move horizontally behind fire doors to a protected area on the same floor.

Requirements:

• Compartmentation creating protected zones on each floor
• Staff trained in moving patients/residents
• Refuge areas designed to hold evacuated people safely
• Often combined with progressive evacuation if needed

Comparing evacuation strategies

When each strategy is appropriate

The right evacuation strategy depends on several factors:

Building design:

• Number of staircases (single vs multiple)
• Compartmentation and fire resistance
• Height and number of floors
• Protected escape routes

Fire protection measures:

• Fire alarm system type and coverage
• Sprinkler systems
• Smoke control systems
• Fire doors and their condition

Occupants:

• Number of people
• Familiarity with the building
• Mobility and awareness levels
• Presence during night hours (sleeping risk)
• Staff availability to manage evacuation

Building use:

• Commercial (offices, shops) — typically simultaneous
• Residential (flats) — may be stay put if properly designed
• Mixed use — may require different strategies for different parts
• Healthcare — often defend in place or progressive
• Hospitality — typically phased evacuation

The Grenfell Tower fire and changing approaches

The Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017 resulted in 72 deaths and fundamentally changed how we think about fire safety in residential buildings.

What Grenfell revealed:

Compartmentation failures:

• Fire spread rapidly through the building's external cladding
• Compartmentation between flats was compromised
• Fire doors and fire stopping were inadequate
• The building's design did not support the stay put strategy in place

Communication failures:

• Residents were initially told to stay put
• Advice wasn't changed quickly enough as the fire spread
• Confusion about when to evacuate

Changes since Grenfell:

Increased scrutiny of stay put: Many buildings with stay put strategies have been reassessed. Where fire protection measures are found inadequate, stay put has been replaced with simultaneous or phased evacuation.

Building assessments: Systematic reviews of high-rise residential buildings, particularly those with:

• ACM cladding (aluminium composite material)
• Other combustible cladding systems
• Compartmentation concerns

Waking watches: Buildings deemed unsafe for stay put but awaiting remediation often have 24-hour "waking watch" patrols to detect fires early and initiate evacuation.

Regulatory changes:

• Fire Safety Act 2021
• Building Safety Act 2022
• Stronger enforcement powers
• Personal Evacuation Emergency Plans (PEEPs) for residents who need assistance

Fire Safety Act 2021 requirements

The Fire Safety Act 2021 amended the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, specifically addressing residential buildings.

Key changes:

Expanded scope: Fire risk assessments must now explicitly include:

• External walls (including cladding, balconies, windows)
• Individual flat entrance doors
• Common parts and facilities

Building height matters: Buildings over 11 metres (approximately 5 storeys) or with 5+ storeys face additional requirements under the Building Safety Act 2022:

• Building Safety Manager appointed
• Mandatory occurrence reporting
• Resident engagement strategy
• Safety case regime

Clearer duties: The responsible person's duties are now explicitly extended to include the structure and external walls, removing previous ambiguity.

Evacuation strategies: The fire risk assessment must:

• Define the evacuation strategy clearly
• Justify why it's appropriate for the building
• Consider all residents, including those who may need assistance
• Be reviewed regularly, particularly if building conditions change

Communication with residents

Whatever evacuation strategy applies, residents or occupants must understand it clearly.

What to communicate:

For simultaneous evacuation buildings:

• Leave immediately when the alarm sounds
• Use the nearest safe exit
• Never use lifts (unless they're evacuation lifts)
• Go to the assembly point
• Don't return until told it's safe

For stay put buildings:

• Stay in your flat unless the fire is in your flat or affecting it
• Call 999 if you discover a fire
• If you leave, close your door behind you
• Only evacuate if told to by fire service or if conditions make staying unsafe
• Keep corridors and stairs clear
• Maintain your flat's fire door

For all residents:

• How to raise the alarm
• Primary and alternative escape routes
• What to do if you need assistance evacuating
• Who to contact with concerns about fire safety

Communication methods:

• Welcome packs for new residents
• Notices in common areas
• Annual reminders (letters, emails)
• Resident meetings to discuss fire safety
• Fire drills where appropriate
• Building notice boards with evacuation strategy clearly displayed

Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs)

For residents who cannot evacuate unaided, create Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans:

• Identify residents who need assistance
• Document what help they need
• Plan how assistance will be provided
• Share with emergency services
• Review regularly

Who decides the evacuation strategy?

The evacuation strategy must be determined by a competent person carrying out the fire risk assessment.

The responsible person's role:

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the responsible person (usually the building owner, landlord, or managing agent) has a legal duty to:

1. Ensure a fire risk assessment is carried out by a competent person
2. Implement the fire safety measures identified
3. Document and communicate the evacuation strategy
4. Review the strategy regularly

Who is competent to decide?

A competent person should have:

• Training and experience in fire risk assessment
• Knowledge of relevant building regulations and fire safety standards
• Understanding of fire behaviour and building design
• Ability to evaluate whether building features support the proposed strategy

For complex buildings (high-rise, healthcare, large commercial), use a professionally qualified fire risk assessor, such as:

• Members of the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE)
• BAFE SP205 certified assessors
• Chartered fire engineers

The fire service's role:

Fire and rescue services:

• Do not approve evacuation strategies (not their legal role)
• Can enforce against inadequate strategies
• Provide guidance on appropriate approaches
• Inspect premises and issue enforcement notices if strategies are unsafe

The fire service may be consulted during the fire risk assessment, but the responsibility for determining and implementing the strategy rests with the responsible person.

Changing your evacuation strategy

An evacuation strategy should be reviewed and may need to change when:

Building changes occur:

• Refurbishment or extension work
• Changes to compartmentation or fire doors
• Installation or removal of fire protection systems
• Change of building use

Fire safety concerns arise:

• Fire risk assessment identifies deficiencies
• Fire safety inspection by fire service
• Discovery of missing fire stopping or damaged fire doors
• Concerns about cladding or external walls

Occupancy changes:

• Increased number of residents
• Changes in resident vulnerability (mobility, age)
• Different patterns of building use

Regulatory changes:

• New legislation or guidance
• Industry best practice updates
• Learning from incidents like Grenfell

Process for changing strategy:

1. Conduct full fire risk assessment — evaluate current fire protection measures
2. Consult fire safety professional — for complex buildings, get expert advice
3. Identify interim measures — waking watch or other controls while transitioning
4. Communicate with occupants — explain the change and new procedures
5. Provide training — ensure staff and residents understand the new approach
6. Update documentation — emergency plans, notices, fire safety arrangements
7. Review effectiveness — monitor how the new strategy works in practice

Common questions about evacuation strategies

Next steps

Understanding your building's evacuation strategy is critical for fire safety:

If you're a building owner or responsible person:

1. Review your fire risk assessment to confirm the documented evacuation strategy
2. Verify that your building's fire protection measures support the strategy
3. Ensure all residents/occupants understand what to do in a fire
4. Schedule regular reviews, particularly if you operate stay put

If you're a resident:

1. Find out your building's evacuation strategy
2. Understand what you should do if the fire alarm sounds or you discover a fire
3. Know your escape routes and alternative routes
4. If you need assistance evacuating, ensure there's a plan in place

Related articles:

• What is a fire risk assessment?
• Fire Safety Order explained
• Who is the responsible person?

Useful tools:

• Responsibility Checker
• Fire Safety Self-Check