on an ongoing basis. Care is taken to provide the best possible safety level, particularly by regular procedure- and results-oriented quality controls and by planned fire protection or fire alarm exercises. The Villach police detention centre has two fire detectors in the equipment room and one fire detector in the machine room. Therefore, there are no fire detectors in the corridors, communal rooms and cells. However, all corridors and communal rooms, including the security cells, are under video surveillance. Guards closely patrol the areas. In addition, the Villach police detention centre has had fire smoke ventilation systems since July 2015. In the opinion of the NPM, it must be clarified which fire protection precautions – i.e. both of a structural and technical nature – should be prescribed as minimum standards for police detention centres. Since detention facilities are subject to comparable conditions in terms of fire protection (large numbers of potentially vulnerable persons, inmate cells, the state’s special duty of care towards detainees, etc.), the NPM first examined the level of protection existing in correctional institutions. No uniform requirements for police detention centres Upon enquiry, the Federal Ministry of Justice made reference to a decree dated 5 January 2006, which states that an automatic fire alarm system must be installed in buildings that are newly constructed, added on to or remodelled. The Technical Guidelines for Fire Prevention issued by the Austrian Federal Fire Brigade Association and the Austrian Fire Prevention Agencies are most relevant in this regard. Decree of the Federal Ministry of Justice The Technical Guidelines 160 N on “Structural and Technical Fire Protection in Correctional Institutions” have been in effect since 2011. These guidelines govern the fire protection systems in correctional institutions in all of Austria. The Technical Guidelines for Fire Prevention 160 N provide that “correctional institutions shall be equipped with an automatic fire alarm system in accordance with the Technical Guidelines for Fire Prevention 123 S. An alarm shall furthermore be forwarded to a fire department reception centre in accordance with Technical Guidelines for Fire Prevention S 114. Only inmate cells may be left out of the scope of protection of the fire alarm system”. In explanation, the Federal Ministry of Justice noted that the Technical Guidelines for Fire Prevention 160 N only apply to new construction, additions and remodelled buildings. Therefore, the fire protection systems do not comply with the Technical Guidelines for Fire Prevention 160 N in all correctional institutions. In contrast to the areas within the responsibility of the Federal Ministry of Justice, the areas within the responsibility of the Federal Ministry of the Interior do not seem to have any general provisions governing fire protection systems in police detention centres nationwide. The NPM believes it would be useful to make the level of fire protection in police detention centres as uniform as possible and to at least adapt it to meet the standards applicable to correctional institutions. The NPM also asked the Federal Ministry of the Interior whether – NPM proposes uniform fire protection 135