Protest at Dispatches probe
RESIDENTS gathered outside North Kensington fire station – where the first firefighters to reach Grenfell Tower blaze are based – to show solidarity with them as a critical investigation into the fire brigade’s role in the tragic blaze was broadcast on Channel 4.
Those present said they wanted to show support for the firefighters as the Channel 4 investigative programme, Dispatches Grenfell: Did The Fire Brigade Fail?, hit our television screens on Monday last week. Passing vehicles tooted their horns as protesters held up placards urging people to boycott the programme.
The event was organised by North Kensington residents including Leearna Oliffe, who said people were concerned that the programme would “point the finger of blame”.
The Grenfell community stands with the firefighters and the bereaved, she said, but people still need to find answers.
“We need to know why the stay put policy was not abandoned earlier,” she said.
She added that the fire crews were “inside living it. They had to make the choices – do I go up to a floor that could kill me?”
Moyra Samuels, from the Justice4Grenfell campaign group, said: “We want to be sure that there’s not going to be some kind of stitch-up of the firefighters.
“We are mindful the bereaved have a right to ask questions. This is about defending individual firefighters who went in on the night.”
She questioned whether lessons had been implemented following the fatal fire at Lakanal House, in Camberwell, in 2009.
Kensington MP and Golborne Labour ward councillor, Emma Dent Coad, said she joined in the gathering “to show solidarity with the firefighters”.
Tony Deady had travelled from Harlesden to join in. He said the documentary had a “provocative title”.
“I’m here to show my support for the FBU (Fire Brigades Union) who have consistently been the people leading the fight for awareness and improvements in public safety following the Lakanal fire,” he said.
Another event was planned at Chelsea fire station.
Channel 4 said the programme “meticulously cross-checked information from 999 calls with evidence from the Grenfell Inquiry to reveal that up to 55 of those who died were had been given advice from the LFB to stay in the burning building and wait to be rescued”. It issued a statement saying: “Control room staff were under instructions to tell them to remain, as it was believed this was the safest thing to do at the time, until the advice changed to self-evacuate some time after 2.30am. The inquiry has heard that the whole tower could have been evacuated in seven minutes, if this had been carried out earlier on.
“Recognising that individual firefighters worked tirelessly and heroically to save lives and many have no doubt suffering lasting effects, Dispatches does not criticise individual officers, but rather exam- ines whether the LFB’s systems and procedures let both residents and firefighters down.”
LFB issued a statement before the programme was broadcast saying it did not want to prejudice the Grenfell inquiry by taking part in the programme.
It said: “Our thoughts are and will always be with the Grenfell community. It’s essential for everyone to understand what happened on the night of the fire. We are listening, we are learning and already making changes.”
LFB said people who lost loved ones and their homes “deserve to know exactly what happened, but we all need to learn about the cause and response to the fire to prevent such an incident ever happening again.
“We strongly believe that drawing conclusions before the public inquiry, police investigation and our own investigation could potentially prejudice these ongoing investigations.” It added staff acted “on what they faced that night and not on what we have learnt subsequently about why and how the fire spread.” Please post me free & without obligation full details of the Opn hearing aid. Tick if pensioner.