Virtually every building (excluding residential dwellings or small residential complexes with 3 or less household units) requires an approved and managed evacuation scheme or an evacuation procedure.
The Fire & Emergency NZ Act states that the owner of a “relevant building” is required to provide and maintain an evacuation scheme that is designed to enable evacuation from the scene of a fire, safely and within a reasonable time, to a place of safety. Part 2, subpart 4 – Evacuation Schemes, Sections 75–79 sets out the criteria of a “relevant building” Use the flowchart below to determine if an approved evacuation scheme is required.
The owner of a building that is not a “relevant building” must still have an evacuation procedure in place for the safe, prompt, and efficient evacuation of the building's occupants in the event of a fire emergency requiring evacuation.
The Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fire Safety, Evacuation Procedures, and Evacuation Schemes) Regulations 2018 sets out the requirements for the implementation and maintenance of Fire Evacuation Schemes and Evacuation Procedures.