Grenfell fire chief given last day ‘guard of honour’
THOUSANDS of firefighters paid tribute to London Fire Brigade Commissioner Dany Cotton as she stepped down in the wake of criticism in the Grenfell inquiry.
London Fire Brigade personnel lined the streets as she left and formed a “guard of honour” outside their headquarters in Southwark, south London.
Ms Cotton, 50, was originally set to retire in April 2020 after 32 years of service.
But the first female commissioner of the Brigade announced her early resignation in the wake of criticism over the service’s response to the Grenfell Tower fire.
The first report from the inquiry found that the LFB’s preparation for a tower block fire was “gravely inadequate” and its lack of an evacuation plan was a “major omission”.
Inquiry chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bick said more lives could have been saved in the June 2017 fire had the policy of “stay-put” been abandoned sooner.
Addressing supporters, Ms Cotton said: “Things have been a bit difficult recently but the messages of support I’ve received have just made everything OK.
“It makes me feel proud. The Fire Service looks after each other.”
But Joe Delaney, from the Grenfell Action Group, was unimpressed.
He said: “Given the findings of the recent inspection, LFB would be better off if efforts were directed at providing its personnel with the training and equipment they desperately require.
“They organised what is essentially a street party for a commander who put the politics of austerity before her duty to protect the wellbeing of London’s firefighters and the lives of its citizens.
“Many are still living in dangerously unsafe housing almost three years after Grenfell.”