Building accessibility
In an emergency, every second counts. Emergency services must be able to get to the scene quickly and have safe access to buildings.
All the information on this subject can be found in this PDF (in FR only)
Keep access to façades clear
In a building, façade openings such as windows are an important secondary evacuation point in an emergency (the first evacuation route being the stairwell and hall of the building). Firefighters can deploy turntable ladders along these openings for safe evacuation.
In order to have access to these façade openings, the fire brigade must be able to approach close enough to the building.
- Ensure that the road to the main entrance of the building provides ample passage for fire engines.
- No obstructions: Always keep access clear of parked vehicles, fences or other obstacles.
The exact building accessibility regulations for emergency vehicles can be found in the PDF in the beginning of this webpage (pg. 4-6 in the document).
Make the entrance easily visible and accessible
- Clear entrance and access route: well-marked and immediately accessible.
- Fire lanes: If provided, special fire lanes (i.e. areas reserved for firefighting appliances) should always be kept clear.
Need advice on building accessibility?
Is the access to your building not quite clear or do you have specific questions?
Contact the fire brigade for advice at: Opens in new windowplans-plannen@firebru.brussels