Question: We don’t have a fire schedule and without a schedule, our contractor will not be issuing an AFSS. Is this correct?
I am seeking information on “fire schedules”. We are a small, well maintained, original 1920s Art Deco building and none of us know of any fire schedule requirements.
We don’t have a fire schedule and without a schedule, our contractor will not be issuing an AFSS. Is this correct?
We’ve had the same fire safety company attending to our inspections for several years so shouldn’t they have known we have no schedule? Or is a fire schedule a recent legislative requirement?
Answer: Contact council to request a schedule; or alternatively, engage a fire engineer and certifier to start creating a schedule.
A contractor, no matter how long they have been maintaining the property, cannot simply create a schedule.
The accreditation program in NSW – enforced since July 2021 requires the practitioner to show proof as to where they obtained the schedule. Hence – it can’t simply be created.
The responsibility for providing a schedule to assess-against lies with council – being the regulatory authority.
We recommend you contact council to request a schedule (if you believe one exists due to upgrade works); or alternatively, engage a fire engineer and certifier to start creating a schedule.
Please note; however, that either option may trigger a council fire upgrade order on the building – which while difficult, is both beneficial to your safety and inevitable thanks to the legislation governing councils and AFSS alike.
This post appears in the May 2022 edition of The NSW Strata Magazine.
Rob Broadhead
2020 Fire Protection
E: rob.broadhead@2020fire.com.au
P: 1300 340 210
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