Fire safety and evacuation procedures

Evacuation procedures

It’s important to feel confident about what to do if there’s a fire. Please take a moment to read this evacuation guidance, so you’re prepared in an emergency. You should have received details of your home’s evacuation procedure when you moved in. If you’d like a reminder or more information, just get in touch with your Housing Officer or email our fire safety team at building.safety@citizenhousing.org.uk — we’re here to help.

Evacuating your home when you live in a house

• If there is a fire in your house, you should follow these steps:
• notify everyone in your home
• leave your home as quickly and safely as possible - do not use the lift*
• close your doors behind you
• leave the building and go to the assembly point
• call 999

*If you think you might need help to leave your home in an emergency, please get in touch with our fire safety team. We’ll work with you to carry out a person-centred risk assessment, so we can make sure you can evacuate safely.

Don’t attempt to tackle the fire, and don’t go back into the building unless you’re told to do so.

Evacuating your home when you live in a mid-rise block or high-rise tower block

If the fire is in your home:

• notify everyone in your home
• leave your home as quickly and safely as possible - do not use the lift
• close your doors behind you
• leave the building and go to the assembly point
• call 999

Don’t attempt to tackle the fire, and don’t go back into the building unless you’re told to do so.

What to do if the fire is in your neighbour’s flat

If the fire is in another flat in your tower block, you should be safe to stay in your home – unless you are being affected by heat and smoke, or if you are directed to leave by the emergency services. 

Your flat is the safest place for you to be because:

• your building has been designed to contain fires to the place where they start for up to an hour
• it gives the fire service time to arrive and deal with the fire before it spreads
• It helps prevent lots of people trying to evacuate at once, which can get in the way of firefighting duties by crowding corridors and staircases. This can put everyone at risk.

It’s important to be prepared in case of an emergency, which is why we recommend that on top of our evacuation guidance, you build a household escape plan. 

Remember to always keep keys to windows and doors easily accessible.

How to prepare a household escape plan

• the best route from your home is usually the route you enter the home
• plan a second route in case the first one is blocked*
• take a few moments to practice your escape plan regularly
• ensure door and window keys are easy to find for everyone in the home
• involve your whole family in creating your evacuation plan
• remember to let visitors know about your evacuation plan

It’s important to keep routes in your home clear, so you can get out quickly if there’s an emergency. If you’d like any advice on this, just contact your Housing Officer or our fire safety team — we’re here to help.

If you live in a block of flats, make sure you know what to do in an emergency and ensure people in your home knows the procedure for your building, this includes visitors. If you evacuate, do not use the lift.

Remember, unless the fire is in your home, the safest place is usually in your flat as your building has been designed to give you protection from fire for up to 60 minutes. It is usually stay put and call 999. However, if you wish to evacuate you should do so as safely as possible.

Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEP)

If you or someone in your household might find it difficult to evacuate and reach safety, you may need a PEEP. 

• Permanent PEEP – for lifelong conditions such as sight, hearing, mobility, or dexterity difficulties, a mental health condition, or a neurodiverse condition that makes it harder to recognise risks or follow instructions.
• Temporary PEEP – for short-term situations like recovering from surgery, a broken leg, or late-stage pregnancy. These should be updated if your circumstances change.

Examples of when a PEEP might be needed:

• Sight impairment – difficulty reading emergency signs, finding exit routes, or spotting fire safety hazards
• Hearing impairment – difficulty hearing alarms or evacuation instructions
• Mobility impairment – unable to use stairs, move quickly, or walk unaided
• Dexterity impairment – reduced strength or coordination, making it hard to open fire doors, activate alarms, or open windows
• Neurodiverse condition – such as autism, which can make it harder to understand alarms, follow instructions, or recognise hazards
• Mental health condition – certain conditions may make it difficult to process or act on evacuation instructions
• Injury or medical condition – such as a broken leg or late-stage pregnancy, which can make moving quickly or using stairs difficult

Our team can help you prepare your PEEP. Get in touch with us now via My Account or by contacting the fire safety team directly on building.safety@citizenhousing.org.uk. You can also call us on 0300 790 6555 and ask to speak to the Fire Safety Team.