Essential fire safety measures in NSW

The types of essential fire safety measure in NSW, what each one is, what the annual assessment covers, and how your fire safety schedule defines which apply.

An essential fire safety measure is defined in the Environmental Planning and Assessment (Development Certification and Fire Safety) Regulation 2021 as any measure, including any item of equipment, form of construction, or fire safety strategy, that is listed in a building's fire safety schedule and is required to be maintained to a minimum standard of performance for the protection of occupants in a fire. The annual fire safety statement (AFSS) certifies, for every essential measure on the schedule, that an accredited practitioner (fire safety) has inspected it and found it performing to that standard.

The Regulation does not prescribe one fixed set of measures that every building must carry. Each building has its own fire safety schedule, issued when the development consent or complying development certificate was granted or when a fire safety order was made. The schedule is the authoritative document: it lists the measures that apply to that building and the minimum standard each must meet.

Is there a list of essential fire safety measures in NSW?

Yes. The Regulation defines a set of statutory fire safety measures drawn from the National Construction Code and Australian Standards. In practice, the essential measures that appear most often on fire safety schedules for class 2 to class 9 buildings in NSW fall into these categories: fire detection and alarm systems; automatic fire suppression systems (most commonly sprinklers); fire hydrant systems; fire hose reel systems; emergency lighting; exit signs and directional exit signage; and passive fire measures including fire doors, fire-rated wall and floor assemblies, and penetration seals.

Some schedules also list portable fire extinguishers, mechanical smoke control or pressurisation systems, and other measures, depending on the building type and its approval conditions. The schedule for your building is the only authoritative source of what applies.

Fire detection and alarm systems

A fire detection and alarm system automatically detects smoke, heat, or flame and signals an alert. Systems range from a basic smoke-detection panel in a small apartment block to an addressable system covering hundreds of points across a large mixed-use development, with a brigade monitoring connection. The accredited practitioner checks that detectors respond correctly, that the panel is operational, and that any brigade connection is live and functional. Routine servicing must follow AS 1851-2012.

Detection systems require their own FPAS accreditation category. Before engaging a practitioner confirm they hold current accreditation for detection and alarm, not just fire safety generally.

Automatic fire suppression: sprinkler systems

Sprinkler systems are the most common automatic suppression measure on residential buildings above a certain size and on most commercial premises. A sprinkler head activates at a set heat threshold and delivers water to the source of the fire. The accredited practitioner assesses heads, pipework, water supply, and control valves against the design standard listed on the schedule.

Sprinkler assessment requires FPAS accreditation for hydraulic fire safety measures, a separate accreditation category from detection. Some larger or higher-risk buildings also carry special hazard suppression systems, which are assessed under their own applicable standard.

Fire hydrant and hose reel systems

Fire hydrant systems provide a pressurised water supply for firefighters responding to a structural fire. Hose reel systems give building occupants a first-response water supply for incipient fires at the source. Both draw from a building riser and pump arrangement. The assessment checks pump output, flow pressure, and coverage at each outlet against the schedule standard. These measures appear on most multi-storey residential buildings, large commercial premises, and industrial sites.

Emergency lighting

Emergency lighting activates automatically when mains power fails and illuminates evacuation paths, stairwells, and areas of particular risk. It gives occupants enough visibility to exit safely when general lighting is out. The assessment tests that every luminaire activates, holds charge for the required duration, and delivers the minimum lux level at floor height across the coverage area. AS 2293 is the relevant Australian Standard for emergency evacuation lighting. Buildings with complex layouts carry more luminaires and a correspondingly larger assessment scope.

Exit signs and directional exit signage

Exit signs identify the final exits from a building. Directional exit signs guide occupants along the path to those exits. Both must remain visible when general lighting fails, either by staying continuously illuminated or by switching to battery backup. The assessment checks that every sign is correctly positioned along each evacuation path, that illumination is functioning, and that battery backup holds for the required duration.

Exit systems carry an additional verification requirement under the Regulation. The AFSS must include a statement by an accredited practitioner confirming that the exit systems comply with the Regulation. This is separate from the assessment of individual exit sign luminaires.

Passive fire measures: fire doors, compartmentation and penetration seals

Passive fire measures do not activate in a fire. They are built into the structure and slow or prevent the spread of fire and smoke between compartments, protecting evacuation routes and giving firefighters time to work. The most common types on fire safety schedules are fire doors (including the door leaf, frame, intumescent seals, and self-closing mechanism), fire-rated wall and floor-ceiling assemblies, and fire-stopping seals around pipe and cable penetrations through fire-rated elements.

The assessment is visual and functional. A fire door check confirms that the door closes fully, latches correctly, the self-closer operates without obstruction, and intumescent seals are undamaged and correctly fitted. A single failed seal or wedged-open fire door can compromise an entire compartment. Passive fire assessment requires its own FPAS accreditation stream, separate from active systems.

Which essential fire safety measures apply to your building?

Your fire safety schedule is the only authoritative answer. The patterns below are indicative of what commonly appears, not a substitute for your schedule.

Small apartment building (class 2, lower rise): typically smoke detection or a detection panel, emergency lighting, exit signs, fire hose reels, and fire doors on stair enclosures and plant rooms.

Medium to large apartment or mixed-use building (class 2 or 9, four storeys or more): typically detection and alarm system, automatic sprinklers, fire hydrant system, hose reels, emergency lighting, exit signs, fire doors, and where approved, mechanical smoke control or pressurisation.

Commercial premises (class 5, 6, or 9): commonly detection and alarm, hose reels, emergency lighting, exit signs, and fire doors, with hydrants and sprinklers added on larger or higher-risk buildings.

Industrial premises (class 7 or 8): commonly fire hydrants, hose reels, emergency lighting, and exit signs, with suppression on higher-hazard occupancies.

If you do not have a current copy of your building's fire safety schedule, your local council can provide it. Strata buildings: it should also be held in the strata records.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between an essential and a critical fire safety measure? Both appear on a fire safety schedule. Essential measures are assessed once a year for the annual fire safety statement. Critical measures are assessed more frequently, at intervals less than 12 months as specified on the schedule, and are reported in a supplementary fire safety statement. A building can carry both types.

Do all NSW buildings with a fire safety schedule carry the same measures? No. The measures vary by building class, size, approval conditions, and the version of the National Construction Code that applied when the consent was granted. Two buildings in the same street can carry different schedules.

Can the AFSS be issued if one of the essential measures is not working? No. The statement certifies that each measure performs to its required standard. A measure that is faulty on the day of assessment cannot be certified. The fault must be rectified and the measure re-inspected before the statement can be signed.

Who can assess each type of essential fire safety measure? Only a practitioner accredited under the FPAS scheme, and only for the measure categories their accreditation covers. FPAS accreditation is granted by category, so check that a practitioner holds current accreditation for every measure type on your building's schedule before appointing them. The FPAA publishes a searchable register.

Sources

• Environmental Planning and Assessment (Development Certification and Fire Safety) Regulation 2021 (NSW).
• NSW Planning Portal, fire safety certification.
• Fire and Rescue NSW, annual fire safety statements.
• Fire Protection Association Australia (FPAA), Fire Protection Accreditation Scheme (FPAS) register.
• Standards Australia, AS 1851-2012: Routine Service of Fire Protection Systems and Equipment.
• Standards Australia, AS 2293: Emergency evacuation lighting for buildings.

This is general information, not legal or compliance advice. Check requirements and figures with your council and the FPAA register.

Keep reading

• What is an annual fire safety statement (AFSS)?The AFSS is the yearly document that certifies a NSW building's essential fire safety measures still perform. Here is what it covers and who it applies to.
• What is a fire safety schedule, and how does it drive your AFSS?The fire safety schedule is the master list of a building's essential fire safety measures. It defines exactly what the annual statement has to certify.
• AFSS vs fire safety certificate: what is the difference?They sound similar and cover the same measures, but a fire safety certificate is a one-off at the end of building work, while the AFSS repeats every year.