FAQ

• Administrative costs of € 74.04 per file
• In addition to these, the cost of examining the application is charged € 123.40 per hour
• In case of adding space during the examination of a file, an additional 1.48 € per square meter will be required

(rates valid for the year 2025)

These rates are fixed by regional decret.

• Police: if you think the incident is malicious, report it as soon as possible.
• Your insurer (and/or mortgage lender): report the damage on the next business day.
• The housing company or landlord if you are a tenant.
• Your doctor if you are not feeling well. He or she can also help you deal with your fears and anxieties after the fire.
• Your loved ones: talk about what you’ve been through. Find people to share your story with.

• Before you can return home, the firefighters must declare the residence safe, and the police must determine the cause of the incident.
• If you are not allowed to return home, make sure the house is properly secured. You can have this done by municipal services or the police.
• If the place is declared uninhabitable, check if you are insured for a replacement home. If you are not entitled to replacement housing and have nowhere else to go, contact the CPAS of your place of residence.

Even though the advice of the fire brigade is not necessarily required for some events, you should always respect some rules. This is to ensure a minimum of safety for the public as well as to allow the emergency services to intervene quickly and efficiently. This responsibility lies with you.

1. Always ensure the passage or parking of fire engines:
   1. The required clear passage is 4 m wide and 4 m high;
   2. The required turning radius is 11 m inner radius and 15 m outer radius;
   3. The carrying capacity of the ground must allow the passage of vehicles with an axle load of 13 tonnes without getting stuck;
   4. In public areas, a minimum passage around the entire site, along the entirety of buildings, must be ensured.
2. Ensure that fire brigade aerial ladders always have access to the main facade of the buildings. When choosing the location, ensure that already unfavourable situations are not exacerbated (presence of overhead cables, power lines, trees obstructing access, etc.).
3. Guarantee access to available fire hoses and hydrants;
4. Maintain access of fire engines to the rear façade if present;
5. Guarantee access to a building with increased risks (retirement home, school, hospital, industrial building, and so on);
6. Reserve a completely free passage of at least 1m20 wide along facades. This should allow the passage of emergency teams (firefighters and paramedics with stretchers);
7. Interrupt a continuous row of temporary installations at least every 20 m with a completely free passage of 1m20 wide;
8. Place temporary installations close to a path if the event will take place in a park (grounds or open-air space) preferably as described in point 1;
9. Ensure that all temporary installations requiring a special connection to the public electricity grid or to a generator of more than 10 kVA are inspected by an organisation recognised by the Federal Public Service Economy, SMEs, Self-Employed and Energy. Electrical connections of small installations are carried out in accordance with the applicable standards and according to the rules of the art.

Even when an event as a whole is not the subject of a fire advice, specific conditions must be respected by/for:

• Street-performers.pdf
• Barbecue.pdf
• Brasero.pdf
• Chip-shop.pdf
• Cookers.pdf
• Vehicules.pdf
• Stage and associated structures.pdf
• Grandstands and benches.pdf
• Tents.pdf

Prices vary according to the type of work involved.

Some services are free of charge: 

• fire and explosion response ;
• technical rescue work, provided it is an emergency call to protect or save a person;
• fighting calamitous events and disasters...

This list is determined by Royal Decree.

Other services are subject to a charge. Here are a few examples valid for 2025:

• Fixed charge for each vehicle involved: €20.03
• Stopping an alarm bell: €260.45
• Fire detection following a false technical alarm: €373.98
• Emptying premises, cellars, wells, drains, etc. : 260,45 €
• Sewer or gully unblocking: €260.45
• Removal or refixing of items threatening to fall onto the public highway (television aerial, gutter, chimney, hoarding, sign, facade bricks, etc.): €373.98
• Clearing the public highway: €260.45
• Neutralising an oil slick, excluding consumables: €260.45
• Destruction of wasp or other insect nests: €193.67
• Help for people trapped in a lift: €373.98
• Assistance with an animal: €260.45
• Ladders and lifts with non-consumable equipment and personnel: €293.84

However, for all other services, a flat rate per hour applies.

These rates are set by regional decree and are index-linked.

The attestation is written directly after the intervention and is therefore readily available. There is no time limit on how long it takes to apply for an Action Attestation.

The minimum time limit for obtaining the intervention certificate is one week.

An event (dance party, corporate party, reception, etc.) that takes place in a room that has a general fire department notice stating that the room is suitable for these types of events should not be subject to a specific notice.

In this general notice, only the following will be verified:

• Respect of maximum capacity of persons to not exceed (compatibility with the proposed event);
• The validity date of the report (less than 5 years, without any changes or reallocation).

The owner or guarantor of the venue will provide this notice to the organizer who will present it to the municipal authority if necessary.

Within 10 days of receiving your complaint, we will acknowledge receipt and let you know if it is admissible or if we need further information to process it.

Our complaints department will then consult with the department concerned by the complaint to find a solution and ways of improving it.

You will be notified of the outcome of your claim no later than 60 days after it is submitted.

The claim is not admissible in the following cases:

• you or any member of your family are not directly affected by the intervention;
• the complaint relates to an act that has already been the subject of a complaint and that has already been processed by our service;
• the claim relates to a fact that dates back more than 6 months;
• the claim is anonymous. It is essential to provide us with your identity and postal details so that we can respond.

The legislation on complaints in Brussels is contained in the order of 3 April 2003 and the decree of the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region of 29 September 2005.

• Do not clean the burned area until insurance data has been collected.
• Contact your insurance company as soon as possible. They will send an expert to determine the cause and amount of damage. If you do not agree with his conclusions, you can always ask your insurer for a second expert opinion.
• Make a list of damaged items. Take photos if possible. Keep all invoices for expenses incurred in connection with the incident.

Each intervention by paramedics is billed at €70.92 (rate valid for the year 2024).

This is a flat-rate amount set by royal decree and adjusted according to the health index.

It is not necessary to have been transported by ambulance to receive this invoice. As soon as there is contact between the paramedic and the patient, the intervention is billed.

No fee is payable. Obtaining an intervention certificate is free of charge.

• Event identification sheet;
• Situation plan of the event site and/or route: scale from 1/500 to 1/1000, A3 format (preferably cartographic type);
• Location plan of the event at scale 1/200 (drawings are allowed provided the scale is respected) with possibly a legend of the symbols used and the safety equipment provided, including the following indications:
  • the exact dimensions of the facilities (including the influence of any anchoring),
  • the spaces between stands or facilities, with the dimension of free passage,
  • the positioning of barriers, fences and various obstacles,
  • the circulation plans for pedestrians, spectators and visitors,
  • the emergency exits,
  • the entrances for fire engines (minimum 4 m wide and 4 m high, minimum load capacity 15 tonnes, turning radii of 11 m inside and 15 m outside, slope limited to a maximum of 6 %),
  • the fire hoses and hydrants,
  • the existing electrical distribution boxes,
  • the immediate surroundings: policy numbers of the adjacent buildings and their destination, name of the commercial premises, type of public building, etc,
  • the date of the latest version of the drawings.

• Cut off water, gas and/or electricity supply if the facilities have been damaged. Report the damage to Vivaqua (02/739 52 11), Sibelga (0800 19 400) and your electricity supplier.
• If you have a fireplace fire, have the fireplace and ducts cleaned and repaired before using them again. Otherwise, carbon monoxide poisoning or a new fire could occur.
• Electrical appliances that come into contact with water or steam must be dried and preferably checked by an electrician.
• Ventilate the rooms and remove any smoke. Dispose of small fire residues as much as possible, in residual waste bags or by bringing them to a container yard.
• During cleaning, wear protective equipment (gloves, dust mask, disposable coveralls, etc.).
• Never eat food or medicine from a room that was on fire.
• If asbestos-containing materials are present in the building and have been damaged by fire, a cleaning by a specialized company may be necessary. Ask the local authority for information on the environment.

Anyone directly involved in the intervention. Other administrative services such as the Police or the Commune are also entitled to obtain a certificate of intervention.

For applications for Ambulance Credential, we require one or more supporting documents:

• Copy of the patient’s ID card on the front
• If the request is for a third party: a proxy with patient signature
• If the request is made by a person who has a relationship with the patient, include proof of that relationship
• If the request is made by an external (Insurance, Lawyer...), add a proof of contract/agreement with your client

They are simply forwarded to the persons concerned.

In some cases, these acknowledgements help to highlight the exemplary professionalism of the officers and these mentions are added to their files. These are assessments that can serve their career.

In any case, your thanks are never trivial. They are highly appreciated and motivate us to always give the best of ourselves.

We regularly receive drawings from children. We are very pleased too. We know nothing better about decorating our barracks!

The height h of a building is the distance between the finished (occupied) floor level of the highest floor and the lowest level of roadways that can be used by fire engines.

Depending on the height, the building is classified as ‘low’ if it is less than 10 m high; ‘medium’ if it is between 10 m and 25 m high; and ‘high’ if it is more than 25 m high.

The regulations become increasingly strict as the calculated height increases.

Nothing is required for a bicycle room, on condition that no vehicles with batteries (bicycles, steps, etc.) are stored there. Batteries of electric vehicles can only be charged or stored if the room is compartmentalised by (R)EI 60 walls and a self-closing EI1 30 door.

The requester will be automatically informed by e-mail of the status of their request:

• First e-mail: when the request is registered
• Second e-mail: when the person responsible for the request is identified
• Third e-mail: when the notification is prepared and signed
• Fourth e-mail: when the request is closed

A follow-up is also possible via:

• Phone to 02 208 84 30 between 09h and 12h
• The following e-mail address: prev@firebru.brussels
• Our contact form: https://pompiers.brussels/nl/contacteer-ons

As a general rule, all fire doors are self-closing, with the exception of residential entrance doors.

In some cases, automatic closing in case of fire is permitted.

A fire prevention report from the Brussels Fire Brigade may be requested if the planned works require a planning permission (zoning change, extension, change in the number of units, work on the structure of the building, etc.) For planning permissions, the decree of the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region of 29/07/2019 defines the acts and works exempted from the advice of the Brussels Fire Brigade.

https://pompiers.brussels/fr/reglementation

The permanence/pre-agreement advices are recommendations to guide you through your project and are therefore given for information only. However, they may be included in a subsequent fire prevention report.

A new room for domestic waste should be compartmentalised according to basic standards.

For conversions, EI 60 walls and EI1 30 fire doors with automatic closure are required. If the room is larger than 12 m², it should be equipped with an automatic sprinkler system that is either directly connected to the public water supply or operates in accordance with applicable sprinkler standards.

Our advices are sent to all parties named in the application. For example: Mayor, Competent Authority, Applicant (natural person/legal entity), Builder, Architect.

The ‘R’ corresponds to the ability of an element to ensure its own stability and that of the building. The ‘E’ indicates the element's flame and gas tightness. The ‘I’ indicates the thermal insulation.

Finally, the figures associated with these different characteristics indicate the duration in minutes during which the element maintains its capacities.

The fire resistant metre is a fire-retardant construction element that slows the progress of a fire from one compartment to another.  It protects the piers and parapets between compartments using a fire-resistant element that is 1m long in total.

Before you can open a business, you must hold certain permits; these permits can be requested from the municipal administration where your business is located.

You can seek the advice of the Brussels Fire Brigade regarding a fire safety certificate on our website, by clicking on the following link: https://pompiers.brussels/fr/demandes-d-avis-de-prevention 

The installation of autonomous detectors is only mandatory in rented houses in accordance with the decision of the Brussels Capital Region of 15 April 2004 (Belgian Official Journal of 05/05/2004).

However, we strongly recommend installing these autonomous detectors also in unrented houses.

https://pompiers.brussels/fr/reglementation

It will be necessary to meet current equipment requirements.  In the case of an existing building, certain criteria may not be able to be met, but this must be justified.

It refers to a layer (or complex of layers) applied to a surface, can have different functions and has a certain class of fire reaction. Examples include coverings for internal walls, facades, roofs, terraces, balconies, walkways, etc.

We recommend the use of portable fire extinguishers with water + additive (foam) of type AB of 6 liters in most cases (homes, HORECA establishments, etc.). Other types will be more efficient in certain more specific cases (CO2 for electrical fires, powder for gas fires, etc.).

These fire extinguishers must be clearly visible, hung on the wall and kept in good condition by annual inspection and maintenance.

A reel is not required if the area of a building is less than 500m² (except for special risks and/or special configurations).

Fire resistance refers to the ability of a building element to meet the criteria specified for the standard test of fire resistance for a given period of time with respect to load-bearing function, flame density and/or thermal insulation.

A part of a building bounded by walls that should prevent fire propagation into the adjacent compartment or compartments for a specified time. A compartment may or may not be divided into rooms.

Point 6 of Annex 5.1 of the basic standards must be met, since new building elements must be installed, even if it concerns an existing building.

We do not have a precise deadline. It varies from request to request, depending on the complexity of the project and the number of staff available.

If there is a fire prevention report, it is usually linked to an administrative decision by an authority and is therefore mandatory. These include building permits, environmental permits, operating permits, etc.

Any equipment that allows to detect, signal, extinguish fire, reduce its harmful effects or facilitate the intervention of public emergency services.

Fire doors opening onto an escape route must open in the direction of escape, with the exception of apartment entrance doors.

A distinction is made between autonomous smoke detectors, mandatory in rental housing, which provide an alarm and local detection, and standard-compliant detection systems, which include 6 levels of surveillance. The most commonly used systems are the “total monitoring” and “evacuation route monitoring” types (see Transformation Note: https://pompiers.brussels/fr/reglementation).

A duplex/triplex is a compartment extending over two/three superimposed floors, with an internal connecting staircase.

La cage d’escalier, les chemins d’évacuation commun et le hall d’entrée des immeubles doivent être compartimentés avec des parois et portes coupe-feu.  Ces espaces doivent être pourvus d’un éclairage de sécurité, signalisation et de moyens d’extinction (voir note transformation : https://pompiers.brussels/fr/reglementation).

The fire reaction class of products used for covering roofs, balconies, walkways and terraces must have Broof (t1) properties - see art. 8.1. of annex 5/1 of the basic standards.

Two escape routes have to be provided. The first is usually through the stairwell. The second evacuation route requires everyone in the building to have access to an opening in the front facade without going through the stairwell, accessible to our vehicles.

They must be kept in good condition through annual inspection and maintenance.

Our department always needs access to the facades of new buildings within a building block in accordance with basic standards.

In case of renovation of a building in the inner part of a building block, the fire service will need to carry out an analysis.

The kitchen must be compartmentalised and the reaction to fire of the walls, ceilings, floors and thermal insulation of the ducts must comply with the characteristics described in table I of annex 5/1 of the basic standards.

Regarding first-aid equipment, the kitchen must be equipped with fire extinguishers suitable for the risks present, and a fire blanket (EN1869 marking is mandatory); in addition, there must be emergency lighting and the prescribed signage.

All extractor hoods must be serviced annually (with inspection certificate). Above oil hobs, an automatic fire extinguishing system is recommended (e.g. frying pan). An alarm system must be installed.

The "common" spaces to be compartmentalised are as follows:

• living spaces
• stairwells
• lift shafts
• technical spaces
• high-risk spaces (due to fire)

Some spaces should be compartmentalised in accordance with applicable regulations/legislation (e.g. premises for domestic waste). In other cases, the expertise of the fire brigade can be used to justify compartmentalising a specific space in the absence of regulations (e.g. room for electric bicycles).

Ambulances may arrive at the scene with a ‘standard’ equipped ambulance (because the directions during the emergency call did not mention anything special). However, after their initial evaluation, they may determine that additional resources are needed. In that case, they call in a paramedical intervention team with nurse (PIT) or a mobile emergency group (MEG - doctor on board).

This initial intervention by the fire brigade must be billed - even if the patient is not transported to hospital - because there has been contact with the patient - in this case, a medical examination showing that additional resources are needed. 

The DBDMH has ‘PIT’ type vehicles and it is therefore possible that a second intervention may have to take place on the same patient through this specialised team. 

This new intervention is then billed under the same conditions as the first. 

Thus, although there was only one service provider (the DBDMH), there were two different interventions by the DBDMH, both of which are billed.

The fire resistance class ‘ EI1 30’ of a door means that, in case of fire, the door is guaranteed to remain flame- and smoke-tight and isolating for a period of 30 minutes.

It is the Royal Decree of 28 November 2018 on invoicing following the provision of emergency medical assistance by an ambulance service that determines a single lump sum of sixty euros (indexed annually).

This lump sum includes any transport, regardless of where the patient is treated by the ambulance service.

This amount of sixty euros referred to in the article of this Royal Decree is adapted to the health index 109.02 (June 2019), with effect from 1 January 2020.

Consequently, this amount is set at 70.92 euros for 2024.

Before you can open a business, you must hold certain permits; these permits can be requested from the municipal administration where your business is located.

You can seek the advice of the Brussels Fire Brigade regarding a fire safety certificate on our website, by clicking on the following link: https://pompiers.brussels/fr/reglementation

The advice of the Brussels Fire Brigade is subject to a fee determined by a regional decree.

You can find the fees on our website, under the tab ‘What after an intervention?’ and ‘Billing’ or via the following link: https://pompiers.brussels/nl/na-een-interventie/billing.

The intervention is invoiced as soon as there is contact between the ambulance crew and the patient. 

There is contact as soon as the patient or their representative has given their consent to our ambulance crew to provide first aid.

It goes without saying that if the patient is not in a condition to give consent, the practitioners have a duty to intervene even in the absence of the patient's consent.
 

In the case of new buildings, it is recommended to consult the ‘basic standards’. These list all the measures to be taken into account to achieve adequate fire safety.

Moreover, depending on the use of the building (HORECA, rest home, hospital, hotel, etc.), further measures may become applicable:  https://pompiers.brussels/fr/reglementation

A complaint may be submitted in writing to the attention of the Service AMU (in priority to the e-mail address ambu@firebru.brussels or by post: Service AMU - SIAMU - Avenue de l'Héliport 15 - 1000 Bruxelles) and must include the following points:

• all the essential details of the intervention (patient's identity, intervention address, date, etc.).
• a detailed description of the subject of the complaint.

All complaints will be followed up.

There should be a fire brigade box with a key to open the gate. The access code for the box should be given to the fire brigade so that it can be opened in an emergency.

According to the basic standards, new buildings must meet accessibility criteria based on the size of the building.

For conversions, a more detailed analysis is performed according to the guidelines in the basic standards. The memo on conversions is available on our website: https://pompiers.brussels/nl/reglementering

An evacuation route is a maximum 10% slope, within the building, that provides access to stairwells, escape terraces or exits.

Yes, by writing (letter: Service AMU - SIAMU - Avenue de l'Héliport 15 - 1000 Brussels or e-mail ambu@firebru.brussels). 

However, in order to be able to follow up your request, while complying with the General Data Protection Regulation, one or more documents/elements are required: 

• A signed power of attorney from the patient who has been treated by our ambulance staff 
• A copy of the patient's identity card
• If the request is made by a person who is related to the patient: please add proof of this relationship.
• If the request is made by an external party (insurance company, lawyer, etc.): please add proof of contract/convention with your client.

The details on this certificate are: 

• the time the call was received at the Emergency Centre of Brussels
• the intervention address
• the time of arrival of the ambulance on site
• the reason for the intervention
• the patient's identity
• the hospital of destination
• the time of arrival at the hospital.

It is necessary to :

• Ensure interruption of direct current in the building by placing the inverter on the roof.
• Install a system to cut off the production of electrical energy at the exit of the panels.
• Install signs indicating the presence of the panels as close as possible to the electricity meters.

For all billing enquiries, you can : 

• complete the online form available here: https://pompiers.brussels/en/after-intervention/billing;
• telephone from 9am to 12pm on 02 208 84 60,
• send an e-mail to recouvrement@firebru.brussels,
• or write to us by post (SIAMU, service Facturation, avenue de l’Héliport 15, 1000 Brussels)

If you wish to dispute an invoice, you can fill in the complaints form also available on our website or write to us (SIAMU, service des plaintes, avenue de l’Héliport 15, 1000 Brussels).

The reaction to fire is the behaviour of a material which, under specified test conditions, by its own decomposition, feeds a fire to which it is exposed.

No, in the context of Emergency Medical Assistance, the 112 centre remains the sole decision-maker for the choice of ambulance, both for its origin and for the destination hospital to which it will be sent.

It is only if a MEG (Mobile Emergency Group - doctor on board) is called to the scene that the MEG doctor can decide to go to another destination hospital.

A wall bushing is an opening in a wall that allows passage of a conduit for fluids, solids, electricity or electromagnetic waves, such as light (e.g., data and fiber optic cables).

The Royal Decree of 28 November 2018 on invoicing following the provision of emergency medical assistance by an ambulance service determines a single lump sum. 

This lump sum includes any transport regardless of where the patient is treated by the ambulance service.

Following circular DGGS/2020/DH-AU/CAO/001 and in accordance with article 3, §2, of this same Royal Decree of 28/11/2018, the amount of sixty euros referred to in the article of this Royal Decree is adapted to the health index 109.02 (June 2019), with effect from 1 January 2020.

Consequently, this amount is set at 60.84 euros for 2020.
 

Following the information given by the practitioners on their arrival at the scene of an intervention, the patient has the right to refuse the assistance of the paramedics in accordance with the law of 22 August 2002 relating to patients' rights, provided of course that the patient is in a condition to give his or her consent.

In the event of refusal of care prior to any intervention, in principle no invoice will be issued. 

However, if the paramedics consider that your state of health requires treatment, they may call in a PIT (paramedical team with a nurse) or a SMUR (Mobile Emergency and Resuscitation - doctor on board).

This means that the patient or their representative (in the case of a minor, for example) has given their consent to our ambulance staff to provide first aid.

It goes without saying that if the patient is not in a condition to give consent, the practitioners have a duty to intervene even in the absence of the patient's consent.

An intervention occurs as soon as there has been contact between the ambulance crew and the patient or even a deceased person. 

This is stipulated in the Royal Decree of 28 November 2018 on billing following an intervention urgent medical assistance by an ambulance service.

Thus, an intervention exists even if the patient has refused to get into the ambulance and be transported to the hospital.

Our service only manages the invoicing of the ambulance interventions of the SIAMU. 

As the PIT (paramedical team with nurse) and MEG (Mobile Emergency Group - doctor on board) depend on a hospital or an external service, we have no information concerning this billing. 

You must contact these services.

Structural elements are the building elements that ensure the stability of the whole or part of the building, such as columns, load-bearing walls, main beams, finished floors and other essential parts that form the building's frame or skeleton, and that give rise to progressive collapse if they fail.

The planned preventive measures are analysed and confirmed in the reports of the Brussels Fire Brigade. The announced measures should therefore be complied with.

The fire-resistant nature of a door is included in the declaration of performance by means of a CE marking, or demonstrated by a Benor-ATG label (or equivalent). Fire-resistant ceilings also have certificates of their classification (EI 30/ EI 60). If such attestations/certificates of conformity are missing, the fire resistance is considered non-existent and void.