Tradie Forms: complete the NSW Fire Safety Statement on the official Version 4 layout. Work through annual or supplementary type, building details, owner details, measures, APFS rows, declaration, preview, and PDF export before council, Fire and Rescue NSW, or the building display copy needs it.
The annual fire safety statement usually lands at the worst time: the building manager is chasing practitioner reports, the owner wants it lodged, council wants the current form, and the PDF still needs building, measure, APFS, and declaration details lined up.
The job is not just typing. The statement needs to match the current fire safety schedule, the APFS assessments, the building address, and the owner declaration. If one table row is wrong, the form can come back for rework.
The cleanest AFSS is built while the records are open and the building details are still fresh. Tradie Forms turns the official NSW Fire Safety Statement layout into guided sections so owners, strata managers, agents, and fire safety teams can assemble the PDF without fighting table cells on a phone or laptop.
What the NSW Fire Safety Statement is for
NSW Planning explains that a fire safety statement is issued by or on behalf of the owner of an existing building. It confirms that an accredited practitioner (fire safety) has assessed, inspected, and verified the performance of each fire safety measure that applies to the building.
There are two types:
- Annual fire safety statements, issued each year, covering essential fire safety measures that apply to the building
- Supplementary fire safety statements, issued at the shorter intervals specified in the fire safety schedule for critical fire safety measures
The Fire and Rescue NSW lodgement page says the owner of a building having a fire safety schedule is required to provide a copy of the fire safety statement to the Commissioner of Fire and Rescue NSW. It also says the owner must ensure a copy of the statement and current fire safety schedule are prominently displayed in the building.
Use the NSW Planning fire safety certification page, Fire and Rescue NSW lodgement guidance, and the Environmental Planning and Assessment (Development Certification and Fire Safety) Regulation 2021 as official references.
Annual or supplementary statement?
Start with the statement type. This is not just a heading. It changes what the form needs.
An annual fire safety statement covers essential fire safety measures. NSW Planning says it must be issued each year and include all essential fire safety measures that apply to the building. The statement also verifies that an accredited practitioner has inspected and confirmed that the exit systems comply with the Regulation.
A supplementary fire safety statement is for critical fire safety measures. NSW Planning says these are issued at more regular intervals, as specified in the fire safety schedule. The Regulation says supplementary statements must be provided at intervals of less than 12 months specified for the measure in the current fire safety schedule.
If the schedule includes both essential and critical measures, do not guess from the last PDF. Check the current fire safety schedule and choose the statement type that matches the obligation due now.
Details to collect before filling the form
The statement is easiest when the job pack is complete. Pull together the schedule, APFS assessment records, inspection dates, building details, owner details, and declaration authority before you start typing.
Current fire safety schedule
The fire safety schedule is the source document. It lists the measures, minimum standards of performance, and critical measure intervals where applicable.
Do not rebuild the measure table from memory or last year's statement. A council reissue, building work, corrected schedule, or fire safety order can change the record.
Building and owner details
The official form asks whether the statement applies to the whole building or part of the building, the address, lot and plan details where known, building name, and description.
Use the building description to make the scope clear. "Commercial building" may not be enough if the statement applies to only a tenancy, podium, warehouse area, or part of a mixed-use building.
The owner can be an individual, company, owners corporation, trust, or other entity. The NSW Planning FAQ says a statement is issued by or on behalf of the owner, and an agent needs appropriate authority from the owner to act.
Fire safety measures
For an annual statement, list each essential fire safety measure that applies to the building. For a supplementary statement, list the critical fire safety measures covered by that supplementary cycle.
Each row should match the schedule:
- Fire safety measure
- Minimum standard of performance
- Date assessed
- APFS accreditation number
The Regulation says an annual statement cannot be issued unless the assessment and inspection have been carried out within the previous 3 months. It says a supplementary statement must not be issued unless the assessment has been carried out within the previous month.
Fire exits and paths of travel
The official NSW statement includes a fire exits and paths of travel section for annual statements. Fire and Rescue NSW says an annual fire safety statement includes a statement that the building has been inspected by an accredited practitioner and was found not to disclose grounds for prosecution under Part 15.
Tradie Forms shows the fire exit section for annual statements, so you are not filling a section that belongs to another statement type.
APFS details
The APFS rows identify the accredited practitioners involved in the assessments or inspections. Keep names, addresses, phone numbers, accreditation numbers, and signatures or signed supporting documents together before the owner declaration is made.
The NSW Planning FAQ says the fire safety statement form must contain details and signature of each accredited practitioner who assessed the measures, or the person issuing the statement can obtain and attach a separate signed document from each practitioner.
Declarant details
The person making the declaration is usually the owner or an authorised person acting on behalf of the owner. The NSW Planning FAQ says the APFS who assessed a measure or inspected the exit system must not make the declaration, nor their employer, employee, or direct associate.
This is a common place to slow down. The practitioner assesses. The owner or authorised representative issues the statement.
Common AFSS mistakes
Using the wrong statement type
Annual and supplementary statements are not interchangeable. Critical measures can have shorter intervals, while annual statements cover the yearly essential measure cycle.
Choose the statement type from the current schedule and due obligation, not the file name in last year's folder.
Measure table does not match the schedule
If the schedule says "automatic fire detection and alarm system" and the statement says "fire alarm", someone may need to clarify it later. Use the schedule wording where practical and keep the minimum standard of performance aligned.
Assessment dates are outside the allowed window
The date rules matter. Annual assessment and inspection timing is different from supplementary critical measure timing. Check the current Regulation and practitioner paperwork before issuing.
Owner declaration is signed by the wrong person
The statement is issued by or on behalf of the owner. If an agent signs, keep the owner authority with the job record. Do not let the APFS who assessed the measures also make the owner declaration.
Fire and Rescue NSW copy is forgotten
Council is not the only handover point. Fire and Rescue NSW guidance says the owner is required to provide FRNSW with a copy, and the statement plus schedule must be prominently displayed in the building.
How Tradie Forms helps
Tradie Forms turns the NSW Fire Safety Statement into nine guided sections:
- Statement type
- Building details
- Owner details
- Fire safety measures
- Fire exits and paths of travel for annual statements
- APFS practitioners
- Declarant details
- Annual or supplementary declaration
You can:
- Save declarant details for repeat buildings or portfolios
- Use NSW address search for building, owner, and declarant blocks
- Add measure, fire exit, and APFS rows without hunting tiny PDF cells
- Catch missing fields before export
- Preview the official Version 4 PDF layout before lodgement or display
- Download the finished PDF for council, Fire and Rescue NSW, the owner, and the building record
- Attach or store the PDF with the job record where your business keeps fire safety evidence
Tradie Forms maps your entries onto the official NSW Fire Safety Statement PDF layout. It is not affiliated with NSW Planning, Fire and Rescue NSW, or any council. The owner, authorised agent, and relevant practitioners remain responsible for checking the statement, supporting records, lodgement pathway, and exported PDF.
What to keep with the statement
Keep a complete closeout pack:
- Completed NSW Fire Safety Statement PDF
- Current fire safety schedule
- APFS assessment and inspection evidence
- Separate signed APFS documents where used
- Owner or agent authority to issue the statement
- Council lodgement receipt
- Fire and Rescue NSW submission record
- Display copy record or building manager handover note
That record helps when the next annual cycle starts, a tenant asks for proof, council follows up, or another practitioner needs to know what was assessed.
Next steps
Start the NSW Fire Safety Statement for annual or supplementary statements, or browse NSW fire safety forms and fire safety forms by state.
If you need the completion-stage certificate instead, use the NSW Fire Safety Certificate.
Official references
For current requirements, check the NSW Planning fire safety certification page, the Fire and Rescue NSW fire safety statement lodgement page, the Fire and Rescue NSW AFSS submission page, the NSW fire safety statements FAQ, and the Environmental Planning and Assessment (Development Certification and Fire Safety) Regulation 2021.