Derbyshire residents to benefit from new national Residential Emergency Evacuation Plan regulations

New national fire safety regulations will come into force on 6th April 2026 across England to strengthen evacuation arrangements for residents who may need support to leave their building in the event of a fire.

The changes, known as The Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025, will introduce a new process called Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (RPEEPs).

These will apply to certain multi-occupancy buildings and place legal duties on Responsible Persons – usually the building owner, landlord or manager – to take reasonable actions to identify residents with mobility or other impairments who may have difficulty evacuating in a fire without assistance.

Under the new regulations, responsible persons must offer identified residents a person-centred fire risk assessment and, where the resident wishes, produce a written emergency evacuation statement. The regulations also require Responsible Persons to develop and maintain a building-wide emergency evacuation plan.

With the resident’s explicit consent, a small amount of this essential information will be stored in a secure premises information box with the resident’s explicit consent – including their flat number, floor number and basic evacuation assistance details – and shared for fire service use.

Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service (DFRS) is encouraging Responsible Persons to familiarise themselves with the new requirements and make any necessary updates to their procedures before the Regulations come into effect.

Rob Leverton, Group Manager for Protection at DFRS, said: “The new Regulations represent a positive step in helping every resident feel safe and protected in their home, especially those who may need a little extra help during an emergency. They set much clearer expectations for building owners and managers, which we fully welcome.

“Keeping our communities safe and reducing the risk of fire and other emergencies is central to our work as a Service. When essential information is passed to us – with residents’ consent – it helps our crews respond quickly and confidently, armed with the details they need should a fire occur.

“We’re encouraging everyone with fire safety responsibilities to act now. Please review your evacuation arrangements, check they are fit for purpose, and play your part in helping us to keep residents of Derbyshire protected.”

Participation in the RPEEPs process is voluntary, and residents can withdraw consent at any time.

For more information and to understand how this affects you, visit Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (RPEEPs) :: Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service.