Fire Risk Assessment and Fire Safety Consultancy in Hertfordshire

Hertfordshire’s built environment presents a distinctive mix of post-war new town housing, historic market town properties, and modern commercial development. As a practice based in Stevenage, Apex Fire Engineering has detailed knowledge of the local building stock — from the system-built residential estates of Stevenage and Welwyn Garden City to the traditional construction found across the county’s market towns and villages.

The county’s major institutional estates add further complexity to the fire safety landscape. The Lister Hospital in Stevenage, the University of Hertfordshire campus in Hatfield, and numerous residential care facilities across the county all require specialist fire safety assessment that goes beyond standard residential practice. Hatfield’s ongoing regeneration programme, including the redevelopment of the former Aerodrome site, continues to produce new buildings and change-of-use projects that require fire engineering input from an early design stage.

Our local presence means we understand the specific challenges that Hertfordshire duty holders face. We know the housing stock, we understand the local authority requirements and procurement frameworks, and we can respond rapidly when urgent assessments are needed. This local knowledge, combined with our national-standard technical capability, provides Hertfordshire clients with a consultancy that is both accessible and authoritative.

We provide comprehensive fire safety consultancy across the county, including fire risk assessments under PAS 79-1:2020, compartmentation surveys, fire door condition assessments, FRAEW external wall appraisals to PAS 9980, and retrospective fire strategies to BS 9999. For housing associations operating portfolios across Hertfordshire, we offer structured assessment programmes that bring consistency and efficiency to large-scale compliance management.

Portfolio management is a particular strength of our Hertfordshire practice. Many registered providers and local authorities in the county manage diverse housing stock spanning multiple decades of construction. We work with these clients to develop risk-based assessment schedules, prioritise buildings by risk profile, and deliver phased programmes that align with maintenance and capital works planning. Our reports are written to support practical decision-making, not to generate unnecessary alarm or open-ended remediation programmes.

We also support Hertfordshire clients through the regulatory process. Whether liaising with Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service on enforcement matters, preparing documentation for Building Safety Regulator submissions, or providing technical evidence for leaseholder consultations, we bring the same rigour and independence to every aspect of the engagement. Our knowledge of local authority procurement processes — including frameworks such as ESPO and NEUPC — means we can be instructed efficiently and without unnecessary administrative burden.

Being based in Stevenage means we can respond quickly to Hertfordshire instructions. There are no travel surcharges for sites within the county, and our proximity allows for the kind of responsive, relationship-based service that national firms operating from distant offices cannot easily replicate. When a client needs an urgent assessment or a rapid site visit following a fire incident, we can typically be on site within hours rather than days.

Local presence does not mean local standards. Every Apex assessment is carried out to the same technical standard regardless of location. We hold BAFE SP205 third-party certification, our lead assessors carry IFE registration and hold graduate or chartered membership of the Institution of Fire Engineers, and we maintain professional indemnity insurance commensurate with the most demanding instructions. Hertfordshire clients receive the same depth of technical analysis, the same senior-led delivery model, and the same independence that characterises all Apex Fire Engineering work nationwide.