Fire Manuals
Fire safety documentation structured for handover: installation and commissioning certificates, block plans, interface matrices, baseline data and AS 1851 maintenance schedules, reviewed and approved before the building opens.
What it does
Fire protection systems carry the heaviest documentation obligations in a building. Detection, suppression, hydrants, hose reels, dampers, doors, exit lighting, EWIS: each system needs installation certificates, commissioning records, as-installed drawings and the baseline data that routine servicing under AS 1851 builds on for the life of the building.
Procom structures the fire manual as its own documentation tree within the project. Each fire trade (mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, fire protection specialist) is assigned the sections they are responsible for and uploads certificates, drawings and commissioning records through their own portal. The head contractor reviews and approves every item before it enters the compiled manual.
The result is a fire manual the certifier, the owner and the fire services maintenance contractor can actually use: complete, structured and exportable, standalone or as a fire services volume within the broader O&M manual, whichever your contract requires.
How it works
Structure by system
The fire manual tree is organised system by system (detection, suppression, hydrants, passive fire, EWIS) so nothing hides inside a generic "fire" folder and every system's evidence is individually trackable.
Collect from fire trades
Each fire trade uploads their certificates, commissioning records and as-installed drawings into their assigned sections (virus-scanned, validated and status-tracked), with due dates set ahead of occupancy milestones.
Review & export
The head contractor reviews and approves every document. The compiled fire manual exports as a structured package (standalone, or as a volume within the main O&M manual) ready for the certifier and the owner.
Every system certified, every record in place
Why it matters
Fire documentation is not a nice-to-have: it is the basis of the building's ongoing compliance. Routine servicing under AS 1851 works against the system's approved design and installed condition, and the annual compliance processes that follow (fire safety statements in NSW, occupier obligations under Queensland's building fire safety rules, essential safety measures in Victoria) all trace back to the records captured at handover.
When the baseline data is missing, every future service starts from guesswork, audits become arguments, and the owner inherits a liability they did not price. When commissioning records are incomplete at handover, occupancy and acceptance can stall, with the head contractor in the middle, chasing a fire trade that has already demobilised.
Collecting the fire package progressively, system by system, with named ownership and review before acceptance, is the difference between a fire manual that protects the owner and a folder of PDFs that protects nobody.
Compared to
| Step | Folder-of-PDFs approach | Procom |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage | Nobody knows which systems still owe certificates until the certifier asks. | Per-system sections with status: gaps are visible months before occupancy. |
| Trade input | Certificates arrive by email in whatever format the trade prefers. | Fire trades upload into assigned sections through their own portal, with validation. |
| Quality control | Unsigned or superseded records discovered after handover. | Every record reviewed and approved through a workflow before it enters the manual. |
| Baseline data | Scattered across commissioning reports, if captured at all. | A dedicated, reviewable home in the tree, ready for the AS 1851 servicing regime. |
| Ongoing use | The folder is archived; the maintenance contractor never sees it. | A structured digital manual the owner and fire maintenance contractor keep working from. |
Specifications
Contents
Installation and commissioning certificates, test records, as-installed drawings and block plans, interface (cause-and-effect) matrices, baseline data, manufacturer literature and maintenance schedules.
Structure
System-by-system tree (detection, suppression, hydrants and hose reels, passive fire, doors and dampers, exit and emergency lighting, EWIS), fully configurable to the installed scope.
Delivery options
Standalone fire manual or a fire services volume within the main O&M manual, depending on contract and certifier requirements, both from the same project.
Collection
Per-trade assignment with scoped portals, due dates with Red–Amber–Green indicators, ClamAV virus scanning and file validation on upload.
Review
Configurable approval workflow with integrated commenting; every approval and rejection logged through the Activities audit trail.
Export
Structured exports to PDF, DOCX, LaTeX, HTML or XLS with table of contents and revision history.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a fire manual?
A fire manual, often called a fire safety manual or fire services manual, is the dedicated documentation package covering a building's fire protection systems: what was installed, how it was commissioned, how the systems interface and how they must be routinely serviced.
What goes into a fire manual?
Typical contents include installation and commissioning certificates for each fire system, as-installed drawings and block plans, the fire systems interface (cause-and-effect) matrix, baseline data for routine servicing, manufacturer literature, and the maintenance schedules the owner must follow.
Why is baseline data so important?
AS 1851, the Australian Standard for routine servicing of fire protection systems and equipment, frames servicing around the system's approved design and installed condition. The handover documentation captures that baseline. If it is incomplete, every future service and audit starts from guesswork.
Who needs the fire manual after handover?
The building owner and their fire services maintenance contractor rely on it for routine servicing and annual compliance processes, such as the annual fire safety statement in NSW or occupier obligations under Queensland's building fire safety rules. Insurers and certifiers may also request it.
How does Procom compile a fire manual?
The fire services documentation is structured as its own tree within the project. Fire trades upload their certificates, drawings, and commissioning records through their portal; the head contractor reviews and approves each item; and the compiled manual exports as a clean, structured package alongside the O&M manual.
Is the fire manual separate from the O&M manual?
It can be either: a standalone manual or a fire services volume within the main O&M package, depending on what the contract and the certifier require. Procom supports both arrangements from the same project.
Fire package holding up your handover?
Book a walkthrough on a sample fire manual, or talk to us about the fire documentation on your current project.