How to Choose a Competent Fire Safety Advisor

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 you can carry out your fire risk assessment yourself or appoint a competent person to do it for you. Either way you remain the responsible person and stay legally accountable for the assessment and for acting on its findings. This guide explains what competence looks like in practice so you can choose well.

What “competent” actually means

The law does not define competence by a single qualification. Under Article 9 of the Fire Safety Order, a competent person is one with sufficient training, experience, knowledge and other qualities to assist properly. In practice that means:

• sufficient training in fire risk assessment methodology and the legal framework;
• relevant experience assessing premises similar to yours;
• technical knowledge of fire safety systems, building construction and fire behaviour;
• professional qualities such as clear communication and sound judgement.

BS 8674:2025 (BSI, 2025) now sets out a framework for the competence of individual fire risk assessors, which is a useful benchmark when comparing advisors.

Recognised guidance on competence

The Fire Risk Assessment Competency Council, under the Fire Sector Federation, identifies key attributes of a competent assessor: professional standing with a body that has a code of conduct, specialist knowledge of fire behaviour and human factors, a track record in premises like yours, ongoing professional development, and proportionality (recommendations that match the real risk rather than a generic checklist). It also stresses independence: an assessor should not have a financial interest in recommending particular products or services.

Questions worth asking

Training and qualifications

• What qualifications and professional memberships do you hold?
• How do you keep your knowledge current with changes in law and guidance?
• Are you registered with a professional body or certification scheme?

Experience

• How long have you carried out fire risk assessments?
• How many have you done in premises like mine?
• Can you provide references from similar clients?

Approach

• Which methodology do you follow? For non-domestic premises this should be PAS 79-1:2020.
• What will the assessment include, and how long will it take?
• Will you explain findings in plain English rather than jargon?

Independence

• Do you have any commercial interest in fire safety equipment, alarms or installation?
• If remedial work is needed, will you recommend competent contractors, or do the work yourselves?

Independence matters. An assessor who profits from selling you equipment has an incentive to over-recommend. An independent advisor identifies gaps and points you to appropriate contractors, but has no stake in who you choose.

Professionalism and cost

• Do you carry professional indemnity insurance and have a complaints procedure?
• Will you provide a written quotation setting out exactly what is included?
• Are follow-up questions or a second opinion included?

Assessments vary in price with building size and complexity. Be wary of unusually low prices: an assessment is only valuable if it is thorough.

Red flags

• Cannot clearly explain their methodology or qualifications.
• Pushes you towards buying equipment or services from their own company.
• Offers a “simple fix” without properly assessing the building.
• Quotes an unrealistically low price, or cannot provide references.
• Will not put findings in a clear written report.
• Promises to “make sure you pass” an inspection.

What you should receive

• a thorough, recorded assessment specific to your building, not a generic template;
• a clear written report in plain English explaining what was found and why it matters;
• an overall risk rating with reasoning;
• a prioritised, proportionate action plan you can actually implement;
• advice on what remedial work is needed, with competent contractors suggested where appropriate;
• a report detailed enough to record in full, as required by the Building Safety Act 2022.

Which standard should they use?

For non-domestic premises the recognised methodology is PAS 79-1:2020 (BSI, 2020), a structured nine-step approach. For housing (HMOs, blocks of flats, care homes) the current standard is BS 9792:2025 (BSI, 2025). Note that PAS 79-2, previously used for housing, has been withdrawn, so a current advisor should not be relying on it. Since 1 October 2023 the Building Safety Act 2022 also requires every responsible person to record the assessment and fire safety arrangements in full, so the report should be suitable for that.

Trust, but verify

You remain responsible for the assessment, so it is reasonable to read the report carefully, ask for clarification, check the recommendations are proportionate, and seek a second opinion if you are unsure. A good advisor welcomes questions and is available to support you over time, not just for a one-off visit.