Fire safety in blocks

Fire safety experts and national guidance confirm that in buildings with a Stay Put strategy, communal alarms are not needed and may cause confusion.

This approach is supported by Kent Fire & Rescue Service.

Your building remains safe.

Safety measures include:

• fire-resistant construction
• fire doors
• smoke alarms in each home
• emergency lighting
• regular safety checks

Removing communal alarms does not reduce safety, in fact, by adhering to the Stay Put policy, you're more likely to avoid risk of injury or harm by escaping unnecessarily.

You will receive notice before work starts.

We will:

• remove communal alarm equipment
• update signage
• check smoke alarms in homes

Disruption will be minimal and you will be kept up to date throughout the process.

We are removing communal fire alarms in some DDC buildings which contain flats.
This does not affect smoke detectors inside your home.

If this applies to you, you will have received a letter from April/May 2026 onwards.