High-Rise Fire Warden Duties and Resident Responsibilities

Effective high-rise fire safety is a system that depends on coordinated action from multiple people. Fire wardens (also called fire marshals) play a specific role in that system. Residents who understand what fire wardens do — and what is expected of them — are better prepared to respond correctly and can support rather than impede a fire response.

What Is a Fire Warden?

A fire warden is a designated person responsible for a section of a building during a fire alarm activation. In residential high-rise buildings, fire wardens are typically:

• Concierge or building management staff in staffed buildings
• Volunteer residents in buildings with a resident-led safety scheme
• An outsourced fire safety management service in some modern buildings

Fire wardens in residential buildings are not required to fight fires — their role is communication, coordination, and ensuring vulnerable residents are accounted for.

Fire Warden Responsibilities

Duty	When	Detail
Alarm response	Immediately on activation	Identify the source floor from the fire control panel
Floor investigation	On activation	Check if the alarm is genuine; identify which flat the alarm is from
Resident communication	On activation	Advise residents of the correct response (stay put or evacuate)
Vulnerable resident assistance	On activation	Check on residents flagged as needing assistance; direct to refuge areas
Stairwell monitoring	During evacuation	Ensure stairwells are clear and occupied in the correct direction
Fire brigade liaison	On arrival	Brief arriving fire crews on the situation, floor affected, and any missing persons
Roll call at assembly point	After evacuation	Account for all residents
Re-entry control	After incident	Prevent re-entry until cleared by fire service

The Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP)

For residents who cannot self-evacuate (wheelchair users, residents with mobility impairment, visual impairment, or cognitive disabilities), a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan should be in place:

• The PEEP documents the person's location, nature of their need, and the procedure for their evacuation
• Fire wardens hold this information and are responsible for ensuring these residents are assisted to a refuge area
• Residents with mobility needs should proactively inform building management so a PEEP can be created for them

What Residents Are Expected to Do

When the Fire Alarm Sounds

The resident's response depends on the building's fire strategy:

Building Type	Strategy	Resident Action
High-rise with compartmentation	Stay put (unless fire in your flat)	Remain in flat; close doors; call 999 if smoke present
Building with ongoing cladding risk	Simultaneous evacuation	Evacuate via stairwell immediately
Building with waking watch	Mixed	Follow instruction from warden / waking watch operative

If you do not know which strategy applies to your building, this is information worth finding out now — not during an alarm.

Cooperation with Fire Wardens

Residents sometimes impede fire safety activities. Common problems:

Resident Action	Problem	Correct Action
Propping fire doors open	Destroys compartmentation	Never prop fire doors
Ignoring alarm and remaining in bed	Creates unaccounted-for resident	Respond to every alarm unless advised otherwise
Using lift during evacuation	Creates entrapment risk	Always use stairwell
Arguing with warden during activation	Delays coordinated response	Follow warden instructions immediately; dispute later
Leaving the building without checking in at assembly point	Warden cannot account for you	Always report to assembly point

Building Fire Safety Systems

Residents benefit from understanding the systems in their building:

Alarm Systems

System	How It Works
Flat detection only	Alarm in your flat only; no common alarm until fire spreads
Common alarm (phased)	Alarm on fire floor plus floors immediately above and below; rest of building on standby
Common alarm (simultaneous)	All flats alarm at once
Waking watch	A fire warden physically patrols the building 24/7 as backup for a faulty alarm system

The type of alarm system affects whether your alarm sounding means the fire is on your floor or elsewhere in the building. In a phased alarm system, your alarm sounding first means the fire is on your floor or adjacent; in a simultaneous system, the fire may be anywhere.

Sprinkler Systems

Modern high-rise residential buildings increasingly have sprinkler systems. Key facts:

• Sprinklers activate only in the flat directly affected by heat — not throughout the building
• A single sprinkler head activating typically contains a flat fire before it can spread
• Sprinkler systems do not set off the alarm — they have a separate alarm circuit
• Do not tamper with or cover sprinkler heads — this impairs the system

Fire Doors

Every flat entrance door in a properly managed high-rise should be a fire door (FD30 or FD60 rating — 30 or 60 minutes fire resistance):

• Self-closing mechanism must function — do not remove or jam the door closer
• Seals around the door frame expand in heat to prevent smoke passage
• Letter box and threshold seals close automatically when heated
• Report damaged fire doors to building management — a door that does not close fully, has a broken closer, or has visible damage around the seals is a fire safety defect

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Quick Reference

Topic	Key Point
Fire warden role	Communication, coordination, accounting for vulnerable residents
Your building's strategy	Know if it is stay put or evacuate — find out before an alarm
Alarm sounds	Follow the strategy for your building
Fire doors	Never prop; report damage immediately
Vulnerable residents	Inform management; PEEP should be in place
Assembly point	Always report to it; warden needs to account for you
Warden instructions	Follow immediately; no arguments during an active alarm
Sprinklers	Do not cover or tamper; they activate locally only