Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS) as your Primary Authority

The Property Institute (TPI) has an arrangement with HFRS to provide a Primary Authority Scheme to TPI company members.

A Primary Authority is a partnership with a single fire and rescue authority which provides consistent, authoritative guidance and compliance advice on fire safety, which applies to all locations.

This ensures that company members receive a single, reliable source of regulatory guidance. All other fire and rescue services must respect this advice, preventing conflicting instructions. The service reduces the risk of inconsistent enforcement and helps improve safety and standards by ensuring businesses follow dependable guidance.

Engaging with HFRS through TPI’s Primary Authority partnership provides a number of advantages when managing fire-safety duties across your portfolio.

Consistency of regulatory advice

By entering a Primary Authority partnership, you gain access to assured, reliable advice from a single fire service, regardless of the location of the properties you manage. Other enforcing fire-authorities must then have regard to when they inspect your properties.

For a managing agent or responsible person operating across multiple local authority/fire-authority districts, this means:

A single consistent set of interpretative parameters for fire-safety regulation rather than having to deal with varying approaches from multiple authorities.

Greater certainty in how legislation (such as the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and the Building Safety Act 2022) will be interpreted in practice.

Reduced risk of conflicting enforcement interpretations which can lead to increased cost, delay and uncertainty.

Tailored fire-safety strategies and inspection planning

A Primary Authority partnership enables HFRS to work proactively with you to develop inspection plans, operational policies and overarching fire-safety strategies for your building portfolio.

If a matter relates to a specific property rather than general legal interpretation, HFRS can, if requested, visit the property or the member’s offices. The member will be responsible for paying HFRS directly for such advice (standard hourly rate £57 per hour plus travel and expenses).

Enhanced reputational assurance and stakeholder confidence

Engaging with HFRS provides a recognised, regulated framework which strengthens your position when demonstrating due diligence to stakeholders such as landlords, leaseholders, investors, boards of directors and insurers.

• Demonstrate to clients, customers and stakeholders that fire safety is managed under a formal partnership with a fire-authority trusted to provide consistent advice and oversight.
• Insurers often require evidence of proactive fire-safety governance – a Primary Authority partnership can be cited as part of your governance process.
• If raised service-charge budgets or major works are required in relation to fire safety (for example, compartmentation, front doors, flat-front door replacements, evacuation strategies) the PAS framework supports your professional credibility.

For TPI company members, engaging with HFRS under the Primary Authority Scheme offers a way to elevate your fire-safety management approach: from consistency of advice, through efficient inspection planning, cost-control, reputational assurance, risk-reduction, and alignment with industry guidance.

Example Areas Covered

Fire-Risk Assessment methodology and review cycles

Common-parts fire-safety maintenance and documentation

Fire-door inspection and maintenance programmes

Evacuation strategies and resident engagement

Cladding and compartmentation management

Contractor and works-control procedures

Record-keeping and audit trail management.

Supported by TPI

TPI recommends members consider Primary Authority partnerships as a best-practice route to consistent, effective, and assured fire-safety compliance — complementing the practical measures set out in Advice Note B05 Fire Safety Management in Flats.

Contact: [email protected]

Further Guidance:

TPI Advice Note B05 Fire Safety Management in Flats
Gov.uk guidance on Primary Authority