Fire can destroy everything in minutes. We know because we’ve seen it happen. At Firestoppers, we stop fires before they start. Our fire safety surveys catch problems others miss. We’ve protected thousands of Irish businesses and homes with our expert passive fire surveys. People trust us because we speak plainly about fire risks and fix them prperly.
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What Makes Our Fire Safety Surveys Different?
Our surveys dig deeper. We don’t just tick boxes.
We find the hidden fire risks in your building that others overlook. Most fire inspectors check alarms and extinguishers. We examine walls, floors, ceilings, and seals that stop fire spread.
“What sets us apart is our focus on passive fire protection – the hidden barriers built into your building that contain fires and save lives,” says Garrett Nolan, Operations Director at Firestoppers. “While others look at the obvious, we find the critical weaknesses in your building’s fire defense system.”
Our team has 30+ years of combined experience in passive fire protection. We’ve worked on everything from small shops to major hospitals across Dublin, Meath, and Louth. This hands-on experience helps us spot dangers quickly.
Why Do You Need a Professional Passive Fire Survey?
Fire spreads fast. Very fast.
Section 18(2) of the Fire Services Act, 1981 and 2003 makes it your legal duty to ensure fire safety. The law states you must “take all reasonable measures to guard against the outbreak of fire” and “provide reasonable fire safety measures.”
A proper fire door buys precious minutes for escape. A compromised one fails in seconds. Our passive fire survey finds these critical weaknesses.
Last year, we identified serious compartmentation issues in a Blanchardstown office building during a routine survey. Three weeks later, a small kitchen fire broke out – but it stayed contained thanks to our repairs. The building manager told us: “Your work saved our business. What could have been devastating was just a minor incident.”
How Does Our Fire Survey Process Work?
We start by understanding your building. Age. Construction. Use. Occupancy. These factors shape your fire risks.
Our surveyors arrive on-site with clear plans. We inspect every passive fire element—walls, floors, ceilings, doors, seals around pipes and cables. Fire compartmentation means dividing buildings into sections that can contain fire and smoke. We check if these invisible shields are intact.
We examine your existing fire safety management, prevention measures, escape routes, service records for extinguishers and fire-fighting appliances, fire detection systems, alarm systems, and staff training records.
We document everything with photos and detailed notes. You get proof of both good and bad points.
What Will Your Fire Survey Report Tell You?
Our reports speak human language. Not technical codes.
You’ll get a color-coded risk assessment. Red needs immediate action. Amber needs planned fixes. Green meets standards.
Every issue includes photos, location details, and clear fix instructions. No guesswork.
A restaurant owner in Navan recently told us: “Your report was crystal clear. I knew exactly what needed fixing and why. My staff now understands their safety roles better.”
The report becomes your fire safety evidence for inspections, insurance, and legal compliance. It protects you if questions arise later.
Most clients receive their full report within 5-10 working days after our site visit. We can accommodate urgent requests when needed.
How Do We Handle Fire Safety Compliance?
Regulations change. We stay current with all fire safety regulations in Ireland.
Our team members attend monthly regulatory briefings and maintain active membership in fire safety professional bodies. When regulations changed last year, our clients received update notices before government inspectors started enforcing them.
We translate complex requirements into simple actions. You’ll understand exactly what you need to do to comply with the latest fire regulations.
One hotel client in Drogheda reduced their insurance premium by 15% after implementing our recommendations. The insurance company specifically cited our detailed documentation as a key factor. Learn more about how passive fire protection can lower your insurance premiums.
What Fire Hazards Do Our Surveys Typically Find?
Damaged fire doors top our list. We often find doors that won’t close properly or have gaps that let smoke through. Regular fire door inspections are critical.
Missing or improper firestopping around service penetrations. Those holes where pipes and cables pass through walls create perfect fire paths.
Breached fire compartment walls. Often hidden above ceilings or behind new construction.
Simple fire safety tip: Test your fire doors regularly. They should close fully from any position. If they don’t, call us immediately.
Fire Audits vs. Fire Risk Assessments: What’s the Difference?
We offer both services. Each serves a different purpose.
A fire audit focuses directly on non-compliance issues. It creates a clear “snag list” of items that need fixing to meet legal requirements. It’s direct and specific about shortcomings.
A fire risk assessment takes a more balanced approach. It documents both compliance and non-compliance areas. It shows the good and bad in your fire safety setup. It gives a complete picture of your situation.
Many clients request a fire audit annually. This keeps them ahead of problems. Others use audits every few years and fix identified issues in between. The right frequency depends on your building’s complexity and risk level.
How Does Our Passive Fire Protection Service Save Lives?
Fire kills through smoke first. Usually before flames reach people.
Our passive fire solutions contain smoke within compartments. This keeps escape routes clear longer.
We create fire barriers that hold back flames for 30, 60, or 120 minutes. This gives people time to get out safely.
“We don’t sleep until we know your building can protect its occupants,” says Garrett Nolan. “Every sealed hole, every properly fitted fire door means more time for escape during a real fire.”
What Makes Ireland’s Buildings Particularly Challenging for Fire Safety?
Ireland’s building stock includes many older structures. These buildings weren’t designed with modern fire standards in mind.
Our wet climate creates unique challenges. Water damage often compromises fire barriers over time. We recently inspected a century-old building in Dundalk where rain penetration had damaged critical fire seals between floors. This hidden damage would have allowed fire to spread rapidly between levels.
Many buildings in Dublin and surrounding counties have undergone multiple renovations without proper fire safety oversight. Each change can create new fire risks if not properly managed.
We understand these local challenges. Our surveys account for these factors specifically. Learn more about maintaining fire compartmentation in older Irish buildings.
Who Benefits Most From Our Fire Safety Surveys?
Property managers save time and money. Our clear reports help them prioritize maintenance budgets effectively.
Business owners gain peace of mind. They know their staff and customers have proper protection.
“After Firestoppers surveyed our nursing home, I finally stopped worrying about our residents’ safety at night,” says a healthcare director from Meath. “Their thorough approach found issues three previous inspections had missed.”
Schools protect their students. Our thorough surveys help educational facilities meet their duty of care for fire safety.
Apartment building owners prevent disaster. Our compartmentation checks stop fires spreading between homes. See our guide for fire safety in older apartment blocks.
How Can You Get Started With Firestoppers Today?
Call us now and we will have a chat about what your concerns are and we will walk you through the process.
We will quote for a full survey of the premises from a Passive protection point of view and produce a full report on completion with an action plan of what is required in critical areas.
We can pull from our professional team covering Architecture, Fire Engineering, Building Surveying or Structural Engineering if we find there are other issues within the premises that require professional backup and are required.
Following an initial site visit we will prepare a quote for the survey which will be a detailed report identifying areas of concern and what needs to be done. This report can then be updated with before and after pictures and is a live report which can be amended as we go and kept as part of your compliance documentation if and when the premises is visited by the Fire officer and as a reference guide if ongoing or new work has damaged any Firestopping works. This can then be part of your maintenance programme going forward.
All works will be QR coded locally with full details of works that were completed including before and after photos.
Key Things to Remember About Fire Safety Surveys
- Professional passive fire surveys find hidden dangers that basic inspections miss
- Fire-resistant walls, floors and doors save lives by containing smoke and flames
- Our reports provide clear, jargon-free guidance on exactly what needs fixing
- We understand Irish buildings and their unique fire safety challenges
- The Fire Services Act makes fire safety your legal responsibility
- Proper surveys protect lives, property, and your legal compliance
For additional guidance on fire safety regulations and requirements, you can also visit the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management website.
Contact Firestoppers today for Ireland’s most trusted fire safety survey.
