In the event of a fire in a listed or culturally significant building, the appropriate organisation should be informed. This could include:
- Local authority conservation officer
- Historic England (for Grade I and Grade II buildings)
- Historic Environment Scotland
- Historic Wales
- Department for Communities: Historic Environment (Northern Ireland)
- UNESCO World Heritage Convention
- National Trust
- English Heritage
- Cadw
- NI Direct: Historic buildings and monuments
When developing the tactical plan and before committing personnel to enter the heritage building, consideration should be given to its age, construction materials, features, layout and contents. An assessment of its stability should also be made, which may require specialist advice.
Obtaining plans for the building from the responsible person or appropriate organisation may assist personnel who need to navigate inside the building.
If the building has an emergency response plan, the information is likely to include:
- Evacuation procedures
- Contact list
- Site plan showing utility isolation points
- Hazards to fire and rescue service personnel
- A contact list of people responsible for salvage operations
- A contact list of service providers
- Site and building plans
- Salvage priorities
- Grab sheets, including the procedures for the removal of assets
- Available on-site equipment
- Location of temporary storage facilities and ‘first aid’ treatment of salvaged objects
- Arrangements for the longer-term storage or treatment of damaged objects
For more information refer to Historic England: Emergency Response Plans.