A global coalition of over 80 fire safety leadership organisations has launched a new Decade of Action for Fire Safety 2022-2032, to ensure an internationally consistent approach to the safety and management of buildings, infrastructure and more with the aim of saving lives by reducing risk and preventing devastating fires.

The launch of the Decade of Action for Fire Safety is backed by the UN and builds on the International Fire Safety Standard - Common Principles (IFSS-CP) published by the International Fire Safety Standards Coalition (IFSS) in October 2020. It follows extensive work to bring public confidence around the regulation and control of fire safety measures.

The Decade of Action delivers a clear goal, a performance-based objectives framework and common actions that align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that can take place at the individual, community, city, national, regional and global level, which can be defined as follows:

• Pillar 1: People – actions to help individuals and groups understand fire, what they can do to increase their understanding.
• Pillar 2: Products – actions to reduce fire hazards associated with appliances, contents and building components.
• Pillar 3: Structures – actions to reduce fire hazards associated with structures including planning, design, and operation.
• Pillar 4: Infrastructure – actions to help enhance firefighting infrastructure.
• Pillar 5: Communities – actions to facilitate sustainable and fire resilient communities.

The IFSS Coalition is an industry-led global response to address differing or, in some cases, non-existent requirements in countries across the world to fire safety. Contrasting approaches have resulted in significant variations in the design, approval, construction methods and operation of buildings and infrastructure, impacting fire risk.

Gary Strong, Chair of the IFSS Coalition, said:

“Our coalition has worked hard to produce this globally applicable way to bring improvements and consistency in fire safety to buildings and infrastructure new and old, and reduce the risk to lives. The goal of the Decade of Action for Fire Safety is to stabilise and reduce the forecast level of fire fatalities, injuries, economic cost, and environmental impact around the world by 2032 despite an increase in population over this period.

“This new initiative is unprecedented, being the first agreement on fire safety actions on this international scale, with its development supported by the United Nations in line with its own sustainable development goals. It is the outcome of extensive work and worldwide expertise on fire safety drawn from over 80 coalition organisations, and will bring reassurance that the construction and management of buildings and infrastructure upholds appropriate fire safety standards, with improved training, education, and resources.”