Fire safety schedule vs AFSS: what is the difference?

The schedule is the list of measures a building must have. The AFSS is the yearly proof those measures still work. Here is how the two documents connect.

These two documents are easy to mix up because they always travel together, but they answer different questions. The fire safety schedule answers 'what measures does this building have to maintain, and to what standard?' The annual fire safety statement answers 'has each of those measures been checked this year, and does it still perform?' You cannot produce a valid AFSS without a current schedule, because the schedule is what tells the assessor what to check.

What the fire safety schedule is

A fire safety schedule plays a key role in ensuring that a building's fire safety measures are installed and maintained to meet a minimum performance standard. It is the master list: every essential fire safety measure that applies to the building, in one document, with the standard each measure has to meet.

The schedule is not something you renew every year. It stays current until the building's fire safety measures actually change, for example through building work, a change of use, or a fire safety upgrade order. When that happens, the schedule is updated, and future statements are assessed against the new version.

What the annual fire safety statement is

An annual fire safety statement is a statement issued by or on behalf of the owner of a building to the effect that each essential fire safety measure specified in the statement has been assessed by an accredited practitioner (fire safety) and found capable of performing to the standard required. Unlike the schedule, the AFSS is a recurring yearly obligation for the life of the building.

The owner gives the annual fire safety statement to Fire and Rescue NSW and the local council in addition to the current fire safety schedule; the statement on its own does not stand in for the schedule. The building owner is also required to keep a copy of the current statement and the current schedule prominently displayed in the building, so both documents need to be on hand, not just the most recent one.

How the two connect

Think of the schedule as the checklist and the AFSS as the yearly sign-off against that checklist. If a building's schedule lists a sprinkler system, a hydrant system, emergency lighting and fire doors, the accredited practitioner assesses each of those items, and the statement certifies each one by name. A statement that omits a measure on the current schedule, or is assessed against an outdated schedule, does not properly discharge the obligation.

This is why getting a current copy of the schedule matters before booking an assessment. If the practitioner works from an old schedule, or from no schedule at all, the resulting statement may not match what the building is actually required to have.

Quick answers to the common mix-ups

Do I need a new schedule every year? No. The schedule persists until the measures or the building change; the AFSS is the annual item.

Can I lodge an AFSS without a current schedule? No. The schedule is what the practitioner assesses against, and both documents must be kept and displayed together.

If my schedule has not changed, is my AFSS still due every year? Yes. The AFSS obligation runs annually regardless of whether the schedule itself has changed since last year.

Frequently asked questions

Is the fire safety schedule the same document as the AFSS?

No. The fire safety schedule lists the essential fire safety measures a building must maintain and the standard each must meet. The annual fire safety statement is the yearly statement certifying that an accredited practitioner has assessed every measure on that schedule and found it performing to standard. They are separate documents that are always used together.

How often does a fire safety schedule change?

Not on a fixed schedule of its own. A fire safety schedule stays current until the building's fire safety measures change, for example through building work, a change of use, or a fire safety upgrade order. At that point it is updated, and later annual fire safety statements are assessed against the updated version.

Do I have to display both documents in the building?

Yes. The building owner is required to keep a copy of the current annual (or supplementary) fire safety statement and the current fire safety schedule prominently displayed in the building, not just one of the two.

Where do I get a copy of my building's fire safety schedule?

If you do not hold a current copy, your local council holds the record and can provide it. Strata buildings should also have a copy in the strata records. Get a current copy before booking your annual assessment, since the practitioner needs it to know exactly what to check.

Sources

• NSW Planning Portal, fire safety certification.
• Fire and Rescue NSW, annual fire safety statements.

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

More guides

• AFSS compliance checklistThe steps to keep a NSW building's annual fire safety statement on time and valid, in order.
• AFSS cost guide: what drives the priceWhat Sydney providers publish for AFSS certification fees, what drives the price up or down, and why a quote without your schedule is a guess.
• New to owning a building? Your first AFSSIf you have just taken on an existing building, here is what the annual fire safety obligation means for you.
• NSW fire safety compliance statisticsOfficial figures on automatic fire alarm responses and building fire incidents in NSW, drawn from Fire and Rescue NSW published data and open data statistics.
• Accredited practitioner vs competent fire safety practitioner in NSWBoth terms refer to the same specialist role in NSW. The name changed on 1 July 2020. Here is what each means and which one you need for your annual fire safety statement today.
• AFSS penalties and non-complianceThe dollar figures for an overdue annual fire safety statement in NSW: council penalty notices, fire safety orders, court proceedings and what to do next.
• AFSS vs supplementary fire safety statement: what's the differenceTwo different statements cover two different categories of fire safety measure in NSW. Here is what separates them, when a supplementary statement applies, and what to do if your schedule lists a critical measure.
• Fire safety upgrade order NSW: existing building fire upgradesWhat triggers a council fire safety upgrade order on an existing NSW building, the notice process, and your appeal window.
• Fire safety order at property sale: what buyers, sellers and conveyancers need to knowAn outstanding fire safety order does not disappear when a NSW building changes hands. It binds whoever owns the building next under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, appears on the property's Section 10.7 planning certificate, and is one of the first things a buyer's solicitor will flag before exchange. Here is what it means from every side of the transaction.
• Not the site you meant? Similar-named AFSS sites explainedThree NSW fire safety businesses have very similar names. Here is what each one actually is, so you land on the site you were looking for.