Why Fire Safety Plans Are Mandatory in Surrey
If you own or manage a building in Surrey, BC, having a current Fire Safety Plan isn’t optional — it’s a legal requirement under the BC Fire Code and enforced by Surrey Fire Services. Whether you operate a strata complex, commercial building, construction site, or short-term rental, the City of Surrey expects an approved plan on file and accessible to occupants and first responders.
This 2026 guide walks through exactly what Surrey building owners need to know: who needs a plan, what it must contain, how it gets approved, and what happens if you don’t have one.
Who Needs a Fire Safety Plan in Surrey?
Under Section 2.8 of the BC Fire Code, a Fire Safety Plan is required for:
- All buildings classified under Group A (assembly), Group B (care/detention), Group C (residential — except single-family homes), Group D (business), Group E (mercantile), and Group F (industrial)
- Buildings containing flammable or combustible liquids above prescribed quantities
- Buildings undergoing demolition, alteration, or construction
- Properties with on-site fuel storage, generators, or hazardous processes
- Strata corporations and multi-unit residential buildings of 3 storeys or more
In practice, this means almost every commercial property, apartment, condo, townhouse complex, warehouse, hotel, restaurant, school, daycare, and office building in Surrey is required to have a current, approved Fire Safety Plan.
What Must a Surrey Fire Safety Plan Contain?
Surrey Fire Services follows the BC Fire Code requirements, which mandate that every plan include:
- Emergency procedures for occupants in the event of fire, including alarm response, evacuation, and assembly point instructions
- Appointment and organization of supervisory staff responsible for carrying out fire safety duties
- Training of supervisory staff and other occupants so they understand their responsibilities
- Documents, including drawings, showing the type, location, and operation of building fire emergency systems
- Holding fire drills at frequencies determined by occupancy type
- Control of fire hazards in the building, including housekeeping and storage rules
- Inspection and maintenance schedules for building facilities provided for the safety of occupants
- Provisions for assistance for persons requiring help during evacuation
The drawings portion is where most owners get tripped up. Surrey Fire requires accurate floor plans showing exits, fire alarm panels, sprinkler shut-offs, gas shut-offs, hydrants, FDCs (fire department connections), and assembly points — drawn to scale and labelled clearly.
How the Approval Process Works in Surrey
Once your plan is drafted, it must be submitted to Surrey Fire Services for review and acceptance. The typical workflow:
- Site visit and information gathering by your fire safety consultant
- Plan drafting (procedures + scaled drawings)
- Submission to Surrey Fire Services through their plan review portal
- Review by a Fire Prevention Officer — typically 2-4 weeks
- Revisions if requested, then formal acceptance letter
- On-site posting of the plan in the fire alarm room or designated location
Buildings with existing plans need them updated whenever there’s a change in occupancy, layout, ownership, or fire protection systems — and most insurance providers require an annual review regardless.
What Happens if You Don’t Have an Approved Plan?
The risks of operating without a current Fire Safety Plan in Surrey are significant:
- Fines and orders from Surrey Fire Services — daily penalties can apply until compliance is achieved
- Insurance liability — most commercial policies require a current plan, and claims can be denied without one
- Civil liability if an injury or death occurs and no plan was in place
- Strata Council liability for council members personally in some cases
- Permit holds on renovations, occupancy permits, and business licences
Surrey-Specific Considerations for 2026
Surrey has been expanding rapidly, and Fire Services has tightened enforcement on a few fronts in 2026:
- Stricter review of high-rise residential plans, especially in City Centre and Guildford
- Increased focus on construction site fire safety plans following several recent fires
- Mandatory updates for strata buildings whose plans are more than 5 years old
- New requirements around electric vehicle charging infrastructure in parkades
Get Your Surrey Fire Safety Plan Done Right
Get Fire Plan has prepared hundreds of Surrey Fire Services-approved plans for strata corporations, commercial buildings, construction sites, and short-term rentals across the city. We handle the full process: site visit, drawings, procedures, submission to Surrey Fire Services, and revisions until your plan is accepted.
Call us at 778-574-2895 or email contactus@getfireplan.com for a free quote on your Surrey Fire Safety Plan.