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Fire regulations your school must meet#
Your school must meet the requirements of the Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fire Safety, Evacuation Procedures, and Evacuation Schemes) Regulations 2018.
All schools must have fire evacuation procedures (Part 1 of the regulations). Many schools will also need to have a fire evacuation scheme to comply with Part 2 of the regulations.
Fire evacuation procedures – Part 1 of the fire regulations#
The evacuation procedures outline how the occupants of a building will be evacuated safely, promptly and efficiently. Some schools call this an evacuation plan.
These procedures are not required to be approved by Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ). They may ask you to provide evidence that you have these procedures for your school.
The safe evacuation of people with disabilities to a safe place outside is a critical requirement. An evacuation procedure must be in place that allows all occupants (including those with disabilities requiring particular assistance) to be able to evacuate to a place of safety when the fire alarm sounds and in the case of a fire.
Fire evacuation scheme – Part 2 of the fire regulations#
To comply with Part 2, your school must have an evacuation scheme approved by FENZ.
Your school must comply with both Parts 1 and 2 of the regulations if you:
- have 100 or more students
- have 10 or more staff
- provide sleeping accommodation for more than 5 people
- store hazardous substances in quantities exceeding the prescribed minimum amounts, such as pool chemicals
- have an early learning and care service – a fully detached early learning service with its own alarm system (not integrated with your school's alarm system) needs a separate evacuation scheme.
How to develop a fire evacuation scheme#
We require that all state schools have a compliant evacuation scheme, even if you have fire sprinklers in your buildings. New schools that meet the requirements for an evacuation scheme must have this in place before they open.
Your school should carefully consider how you will effectively manage an evacuation in a fire emergency. This includes setting out specific details for the evacuation of people with disabilities.
An evacuation scheme must include:
- what to do if you discover a fire
- what to do if you are alerted to a fire
- where your assembly points are and how to get to them
- provision for evacuating members of the public who may be at your school including young children, the elderly, the sick, people with disabilities, and residential units.
Get your evacuation scheme approved#
To make an application you will need:
- your proposed evacuation scheme
- copies of your emergency signs and notices
- a list of hazardous chemicals your school stores (science lab or pool chemicals)
- building occupancy numbers (contact Argest if you need these).
FENZ has an example application form and evacuation scheme for a school.
If you need help filling out the application form, contact your local FENZ office.
Apply for approval of your evacuation scheme on the FENZ website.
Evacuation Schemes – Fire and Emergency New Zealand
You need a RealMe account to apply. If you do not have an account, set up one in your school's name. When you enter the name of your school in the form, put the prefix "MOE" in front of your school's name, for example:
"MOE-Kiwi Park School"
Keep your evacuation scheme up to date#
To keep your evacuation scheme up to date, you must:
- keep the contact person details FENZ holds for your school up to date
- hold trial evacuations every 6 months
- train staff to manage an evacuation and make a 6-monthly assessment of their preparedness
- advise FENZ of the outcomes of your trial evacuations.
You need to update the evacuation scheme and resubmit it for approval in some circumstances. These include:
- a significant increase in the school's roll
- new buildings or renovations that change total occupancy
- changes to fire systems or egress routes.
The regulations set out the changes in circumstances that may require an evacuation scheme to be resubmitted for approval by FENZ.
Fire alarm and sprinkler system shutdowns#
Your fire alarm or sprinkler system may need to be shut down for:
- emergencies
- construction work
- repairs to the system.
What the contractor must do#
Contractors doing the work must complete a shutdown notice. The notice outlines:
- what the shutdown is for
- how long it will last
- what buildings are affected.
Fire protection system shutdown formThe contractor should reconnect the fire alarm or sprinkler system as soon as possible. They should have safety precautions and contingency plans in place while any systems are down.
What you must do#
Make sure the shutdown notice the contractor gives you is sent to:
- your property advisor
- your fire alarm monitoring company (ADT for most schools) at [email protected]
- FENZ Regulatory Compliance Group at [email protected]
- all insurance providers your school uses (for example, contents or board-owned property).
You need to have a plan for how you will alert the areas of the school affected by the shutdown if there is an emergency.
If the shutdown is for an extended period, you should talk to a FENZ risk officer as you may need to vary your evacuation scheme.
