Common issues with zone plans

07/11/2025 |

Common Issues with Zone Plans

Fire alarm zone plans are an essential tool for emergency response.
A zone plan is a diagram showing how a building is divided into fire detection zones, and is typically located next to the Control and Indicating Equipment.

Common issues with zone plans:

X Plans not matching the actual layout

X Ambiguous or missing zone markings

X Illegible plans

X Zone plans not matching the users perspective

X Outdated plans

X Inadequate emergency lighting to illuminate the zone plan

How RES can help

A zone plan is a diagram showing how a building is divided into fire detection zones, and is typically located next to the Control and Indicating Equipment. It should include important features such as entrances, exits and circulation areas and should be oriented to match the viewers perspective and be presented in a tamper proof frame.

When a fire alarm activates, anyone responding to the alarm needs to be able to identify the affected area immediately. This improves response times, supports effective evacuation, and enables fire and rescue services to act quickly.

If your premises does not have an accurate and up-to-date fire zone plan this is now classified as a major non-conformity according to BS 5839- 1: 2025

Our in-house zone plan service ensures plans are created using first-hand information, provided by our experienced engineers to ensure accuracy, resulting in premises having clear, simple and concise drawings.

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Email: sales@resfire.co.uk

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Fire Plans
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What is a Fire Alarm Zone Plan? 

09/01/2021 |

What is a Fire Alarm Zone Plan? 

A fire alarm zone plan is an illustrated layout of your building, listing all its fire alarm zones. It should show the building exits, stairs, corridors, lifts etc. The fire alarm zone plan should be located next to the fire alarm panel, which can immediately identify where any potential fire situation may have occurred.

Do I need a zone plan? 

Under BS5839-1:2017, it is essential for buildings to have fire alarm zone plans

Your zone plan should show as a minimum all building entrances, circulation areas (corridors, stairs, lifts etc) and accurately indicate the orientation of the building. The division into zones and should also include a ‘You Are Here’ sign so you can locate where you are in the building.

Did you know? 

In at least one multiple-fatality fire, it has been determined that some or all the deaths could have been avoided if a diagrammatic representation of the premises (commonly described as a zone plan) had been provided in close proximity to the CIE (Control and indicating equipment).

Accordingly, it is important to ensure that a suitable zone plan is provided adjacent to all CIE (including any repeat control and/or indicating equipment), unless the CIE incorporates a suitable display (e.g. an illuminated mimic diagram). The objective is to ensure that those responding to a fire alarm signal (including staff on the premises and firefighters) are given unambiguous information as to the location of a fire.

RES can provide a Fire Alarm Zone plan for your premises, as well as Fire Evacuation and Procedure Plans, Fire Escape Plans, Fire Equipment Plans, Fire Compartmentation Plans, Occupancy Assessment Plans. These can be printed at A4 or A3 size and are typically mounted in specialist anti-glare snap frames.

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January 2019 – RES join Fire Protection Association

01/19/2019 |

RES are now members of the The Fire Protection Association (FPA) which is the UK’s national fire safety organisation.

This further demonstrates our commitment  to working towards protecting people, property, business and the environment.

Since the FPA’s formation in 1946 they have attained an unrivalled reputation for quality of work and expertise in all aspects of fire including research, consultancy, training, membership, publications, risk surveying and auditing. The FPA’s products and services are designed to assist fire, security and safety professionals achieve and maintain the very highest standards of fire safety management.