We need a resident-centred approach to fire safety for all blocks, not just high rises

We adopted this approach at Gentoo back in 2019 when we developed a process for person-centred fire risk assessments (PCFRAs) to ensure we knew which of our customers were at greater risk from fire and the level of support they would need to evacuate during a fire.   

Our approach applies across all of Gentoo’s multi-occupied buildings, regardless of height. This includes high-rise, mid-rise, low-rise, sheltered and extra-care schemes.  

This process is embedded into our culture, and all frontline colleagues are empowered to identify and refer customers for a PCFRA by contacting our fire and building safety team, or referring them through our ‘Something Not Quite Right’ app. Customers are also regularly reminded of the support available and their ability to self-refer for an assessment.  

“Our PCFRAs look at the customer and their individual risk of fire in their home. It considers their physical and cognitive abilities, as well as fire safety measures in their home and building”

Between specially trained colleagues in our housing and fire and building safety teams, customers have PCFRAs to aid them to live safely in their home and evacuate in an emergency for mobility impairments, sight or hearing loss, hoarding tendencies or cognitive impairments such as dementia, to name some examples.  

Our PCFRAs look at the customer and their individual risk of fire in their home. It considers their physical and cognitive abilities, as well as fire safety measures in their home and building.  

If a customer needs support in their flat, there are lots of measures Gentoo can offer. This includes installing flashing alarms and vibrating pillow pads for people who are hard of hearing, installing alternative fire door closers for those with mobility issues, illustrative and easy-read information for those with cognitive impairments, and individual evacuation plans.  

As a result, we currently have more than 350 customers with PCFRAs completed, which are reviewed annually as a minimum.

We are grateful for the strong working partnership Gentoo has with our local fire and rescue service. With its support, we have developed premises information boxes for each high-rise, sheltered and extra-care buildings to share information on vulnerable residents with fire crews, as well as building level evacuation plans and schematics. We also have a digital solution, so the fire and rescue service can access live data on our vulnerable residents in a way that works for both organisations for all of our buildings. 

Monthly meetings are held between station managers and a cross section of Gentoo colleagues who have responsibility for our multi-occupancy buildings. These meetings are used as an opportunity to discuss any residents’ concerns, as well as recent incidents and the success of our response. This allows us to continually improve our approach to supporting customers at greater risk from fire, as well as refer residents for additional support, such as a fire and rescue service ‘Safe and Well’ assessment.  

“We have developed premises information boxes for each high-rise, sheltered and extra-care buildings to share information on vulnerable residents with fire crews, as well as building-level evacuation plans and schematics”

We also regularly support the fire and rescue service with familiarisation visits and major incident training in our buildings. These exercises provide both Gentoo and the fire and rescue service with a fantastic opportunity to test our respective incident response arrangements.  

While our approach is thorough, we will review the guidance in detail and revise our processes accordingly to fully adopt the Government’s recommendations.  

Gentoo firmly believes it is our responsibility to make sure that customers not only feel safe but are safe in our properties. By having a comprehensive understanding of the customers who call our properties home, we can be prepared and plan effectively for any major incident.

Gemma Darville, head of safety, risk and assurance, Gentoo Group