Do fire safety plans now go through CORENET X?

It depends on the project. As of October 2026, CORENET X is mandatory for new projects of 5,000 m² GFA and above, where SCDF's building plan approval sits in the Construction Gateway and fire protection and mechanical ventilation plans go in as Independent Submissions. Smaller projects, and qualifying projects already started in CORENET 2, continue through the CORENET e-Submission System. Check the URA/BCA circular and SCDF's page for your case.

What is the difference between a TFP and an FSC?

A Fire Safety Certificate (FSC) is issued when all fire safety works are complete and must be obtained before the building is occupied. A Temporary Fire Permit (TFP) allows use for a limited period before the FSC, and is only issued when the works are substantially complete with very minor items outstanding. Both need an inspection certificate from a Registered Inspector first.

What does the fire protection contractor prepare for the submission?

Typically the fire protection layouts and schematics, sprinkler and riser drawings, fire alarm layouts and zoning, hydraulic calculations, equipment data and any reports the QP asks for. The QP reviews, endorses and submits them.

Is Newham a QP for SCDF submissions?

No. Newham prepares designs, drawings and calculations. Where a submission needs Professional Engineer endorsement, Newham coordinates review by a Singapore-registered PE, and those fees are quoted separately.

SCDF fire safety plan submission: a guide for M&E teams

Q: Who can submit fire safety plans to SCDF?

A Qualified Person (QP): an architect registered with the Board of Architects or a Professional Engineer registered with the Professional Engineers Board, with a valid practising certificate. The QP submits on behalf of the owner. Contractors and drafting firms prepare material for the QP but do not submit it themselves.

An SCDF fire safety plan submission is the application that gets fire safety works approved before they are built. In Singapore, anyone carrying out fire safety works in a building must first get SCDF approval of the plans under the Fire Safety Act 1993, unless the works are exempted or fall under the minor works lodgement route. The plans are prepared and submitted by a Qualified Person (QP), who is a registered architect or Professional Engineer. The M&E or fire protection contractor does much of the technical preparation behind that submission. At completion, the QP applies for a Temporary Fire Permit (TFP) or Fire Safety Certificate (FSC) before the building is occupied. This guide covers who does what, what the fire protection package contains, and how the e-submission route works as of October 2026, including where CORENET X now applies.

Rules, portals and thresholds in this area change. Everything below is checked against official pages as of October 2026, with links. Always confirm the current position on the SCDF plans submission page before you submit.

Who submits: the Qualified Person

SCDF states that plans must be prepared and submitted by a Qualified Person on behalf of the owner or occupier. A QP is an architect registered with the Board of Architects or a Professional Engineer registered with the Professional Engineers Board, with a valid practising certificate. On most building projects the architect is the QP for the overall fire safety (building) plans, and an M&E Professional Engineer is the QP for the fire protection and mechanical ventilation plans.

The QP takes professional responsibility for what is submitted. That is why contractors, drafting firms and design support teams do not submit to SCDF directly. Their job is to give the QP a complete, consistent package to review and endorse.

Some cases have an extra layer. Projects using the performance-based approach to fire safety need a Fire Safety Engineer and a peer reviewer, and SCDF sets out a separate performance-based plan approval process for them.

What the M&E or fire protection contractor prepares

The contractor or its design team usually prepares the technical content for the fire protection plans. A typical package includes:

Fire protection layouts on every floor plan, showing sprinklers, hose reels, landing valves, breeching inlets, fire extinguishers and control valves
Schematic and riser diagrams for sprinklers, wet or dry risers and hose reels, showing pipe sizes, tanks, pumps and their locations
Hydraulic calculations for the sprinkler system and, where relevant, risers and pump sizing. See sprinkler hydraulic calculations
Fire alarm layouts: detectors, manual call points, sounders, visual alarms, zoning and panel locations. See fire alarm design in Singapore
Fire pump room, tank and plant room details
Equipment data: technical data for pumps, sprinkler heads, valves, alarm panels and other components, as the QP and specification require
Interfaces with mechanical ventilation, smoke control, gas suppression and emergency voice communication

SCDF's requirements for fire protection and mechanical ventilation plans, as listed in the CORENET X Code of Practice, include detailed floor layouts, a schematic of the overall system with sizes and capacities, cross-sections where needed, a colour scheme distinguishing the systems, the location of the automatic fire alarm and extinguishing systems, emergency voice communication and smoke control, and calculations and reports where applicable.

The design itself follows the SCDF Fire Code. Its referenced standards include SS CP 52 for automatic sprinkler systems and SS 645 for fire alarm systems (see SCDF's Fire Code 2023 codes and standards list). Other standards apply only where the project specification calls for them.

The stages, from plans to certificate

Check whether a submission is needed. Works under the Fire Safety (Exemption) Order need no plan submission. Works within the minor additions and alterations schedule can start after an MAA lodgement. Everything else needs plan approval before works start.
Consult early if needed. Waiver applications go in before the formal plan submission, and consultations with SCDF can be booked through its e-services.
Prepare the plans. The architect QP prepares the building plans. The M&E QP, supported by the fire protection designer or contractor, prepares the fire protection and mechanical ventilation plans.
Submit and respond. The QP submits electronically and answers any SCDF comments with amended plans.
Approval. Works go ahead to the approved plans. Changes on site that affect fire safety need amendment submissions.
Inspection by a Registered Inspector. The owner appoints a Registered Inspector (RI). The RI's inspection certificate is a prerequisite for a TFP or FSC.
TFP or FSC. The QP applies on the owner's behalf. A TFP allows occupation for a limited period when works are substantially complete with only very minor items outstanding. The FSC is issued once all fire safety works are complete, and must be obtained before the premises are used.

The e-submission route as of October 2026

There are now two routes, and which one applies depends on the project.

CORENET e-Submission (CORENET 2). SCDF's plans submission page (last updated 8 October 2026) still directs QPs to submit through the CORENET e-Submission System, and its TFP/FSC page says TFP/FSC applications are made online through CORENET. Projects below 5,000 m² GFA use this route.

CORENET X. Under URA/BCA circular DC26-08 (23 July 2026), submissions through the CORENET X Gateway Processes are mandatory from 1 October 2026 for new projects with GFA of 5,000 m² and above. Projects of that size that began submissions in CORENET 2 by 30 September 2026 may continue in CORENET 2 for now. Projects below 5,000 m² are not required to onboard. Within CORENET X, according to the 3-gateway process page and the Code of Practice (Fourth Edition, 2026-09):

Design Gateway: SCDF checks fire engine accessways early, with detailed checks later.
Construction Gateway: SCDF gives building plan approval based on the coordinated IFC+SG model. The QP declares, space by space, which fire alarm and protection systems are provided, and key components such as fire alarm panels, manual call points, sounders, sprinkler control valves, breeching inlets, landing valves and hose reel cabinets are modelled. Automatic detectors are not modelled; they are recorded as a space property.
Independent Submissions: the detailed fire protection (FP) and mechanical ventilation (MV) plans are submitted by the M&E QP as Independent Submissions, which can be in non-BIM (2D) format.
Completion Gateway: TFP/FSC is one of the technical clearances the QP obtains before the overall TOP/CSC application.

For the modelling side, see our CORENET X guide for MEP teams.

Points that do not fully line up. SCDF's own pages, as of October 2026, mention only the CORENET e-Submission System and do not describe CORENET X. The CORENET X home page still headlines the earlier 30,000 m² phase. An earlier circular, DC25-01, had planned CORENET X for all new projects from 1 October 2026. DC26-08 is the latest circular we found and replaces that plan. If you are unsure which route your project is on, confirm with the agencies through the CORENET X enquiry form or SCDF before you prepare the package.

What about "FSSD"? "FSSD submission" refers to SCDF's Fire Safety and Shelter Department, which regulates fire safety. In practice it means the same SCDF fire safety plan submission described here. Use the forms and guides on SCDF's current fire safety pages rather than old copies.

Common reasons submissions get sent back

We do not have SCDF statistics, but the same themes come up in practice:

Drawings that do not agree. Layouts, schematics and calculations showing different pipe sizes, head counts or zones.
Incomplete coverage. Missing sprinklers or detection in concealed spaces, plant rooms, stores or areas added late.
Wrong code basis. Designing to a foreign standard alone when the SCDF Fire Code and its referenced Singapore standards apply.
Calculations without confirmed supply data. Hydraulic results based on assumed water supply or pump figures.
Building and M&E plans out of step. Compartments, room uses or escape routes changed on the architectural plans but not on the fire protection plans.
Missing interfaces. Smoke control, ventilation and fire alarm links not shown or not consistent.
Under CORENET X, model data gaps. Missing space declarations or properties that the Code of Practice requires.

Common mistakes

Treating the contractor as the submitter. Only a QP submits. Build the QP's review time into the programme.
Starting before the architectural basis is fixed. Room use, compartments and ceiling heights drive the fire protection design.
Assuming the old route. Check early whether your project falls under CORENET X or CORENET 2, because the deliverables differ.
Leaving the RI too late. The Registered Inspector's certificate is needed before TFP or FSC, so appoint one in good time.
Not tracking amendments. Site changes that affect fire safety need approved amendments before TFP or FSC.
Reusing old forms or values. Codes, forms and portals are updated. Use the current editions every time.

Related guides

For the design content behind the plans, see fire alarm design in Singapore and sprinkler hydraulic calculations. For BIM submissions, see CORENET X for MEP teams. At completion, see as-built drawings and MEP handover.

How Newham can help

Newham's fire protection engineers prepare the technical content behind an SCDF submission: sprinkler, riser and hose reel layouts, hydraulic calculations, fire alarm layouts and schematics, in Singapore submission format. Newham is not a QP or PE firm. Where a submission needs Professional Engineer endorsement, we coordinate review by a Singapore-registered PE and quote those fees separately; the QP remains responsible for submitting to SCDF. Work is priced per deliverable or on a monthly retainer, billed in SGD, with the scope confirmed in writing first. See fire protection design, or book a discovery call to scope your next package.