Most of us when hearing the words ‘Fire Report’ would quickly assume this is about the fire incident report after a sweltering blaze.
It’s not always the case, there many kinds of fire reports.
In fact, another kind of fire report is written before any fire incidents occur. Sounds strange right? Not really. Truth is it is one of the most important fire documentations asked during the building consent application process.
It goes by other names as well: this is also called as the ‘Building Code compliance fire report’ or the ‘fire report for building consent’. This is a required documentation by the New Zealand Building Code (NZBC) that proves a number of fire safety features have been incorporated into your build.
It is not the kind of application form or technical document you can prepare on your own, but in fact requires the expertise of a fire safety expert to complete.
A fire report is part of the supporting information you will provide as a property owner intent on starting a construction project in Whangarei.
It all started with the changes in the Building Act 2004 which incorporated the New Zealand Fire Service Commission into the building consent application process. The following year, the New Zealand Fire Service started reviewing, on behalf of the Fire Service Commission, the fire reports and fire designs submitted in the building consent applications. This is to ensure that safety features and best practice guidelines are followed in your building design.
What is the purpose of a fire report?
Primarily, it serves as a guide on how your building’s design information is presented and communicated to other building professionals no matter the methodology used.
It provides specific documentation about the fire safety engineering plan, which should be true to its detail in the entire construction layout. Generally, the fire report touches upon a number of fire safety highlights such as noting fire hazards, the fire load, the water supply available on site for firefighting and sprinklers. More importantly, it should outline the fire escape methods, the number and location of escape routes and with this; what kind of fire suppression, alarm and detection systems you plan to have installed.
It doesn’t matter how big or small your construction is, or whether your fire report was done by one or several fire safety professionals. The important thing here is it should be complete because the long-term impact of these guidelines is always safety.
Need a fire report for building consent?
In Whangarei, Auckland, Far North or Kaipara there’s Fireco and their partners when it comes to straightforward or fully comprehensive detailed Fire reports.
At Fireco, you can directly consult with us, we can recommend the proper steps or even refer you to one of our competent fire engineers in our network to process a proper fire report.
The fire report done by a proficient fire engineer will be tailored towards the specifics of your business. You will not be given handover generic copies. What you will receive is a fire report customised to your building situation. A lot of details will be noted such as, what is currently correct in your building plans in terms of fire safety, and if there are recommendations for improvement prior to submitting your application for the building consent.
It is important that your fire report details are well-communicated and in accordance to the NZ building code.
Get in touch with us now for a consultation on your building consent fire report. Call us at Fireco Limited 0800 101 232 or email us at info@fireco.co.nz
