Brigade’s ‘lack of preparation’ prompts call for changes

LONDON Fire Brigade may have breached fire safety laws by failing to properly inspect Grenfell Tower before the tragedy, the report suggests.

Sir Martin Moore-bick concludes that the firefighters’ rescue efforts were hampered by “woefully inadequate” knowledge of the building.

The lack of preparation was so “inexcusable” that commanders at the scene did not even know how many floors were within the tower, Sir Martin reveals in his report to be published this morning. He adds that LFB’S failure to demand more information about the tower is a “matter of the utmost seriousness”.

Sir Martin makes a series of recommendations in the report.

New guidelines for high-rise evacuations

London Fire Brigade had “no plans in place” for evacuating Grenfell Tower should the need arise, the report finds.

Sir Martin recommends that national guidelines are developed for “carrying out partial or total evacuations of highrise buildings”.

He says owners of high-rise buildings must be required by law to regularly draw up evacuation plans, and to share them with the local fire authority.

To prevent any confusion over whether to “stay put” or leave a burning building, he recommends that all high-rise buildings be fitted with an evacuation signal.

All fire and rescue services should be equipped with smoke hoods to help people escape through smoky exit routes, he adds.

No more chaos in 999 control rooms

Sir Martin says control room staff who fielded 999 calls “undoubtedly saved lives”, but their chaotic response also revealed “shortcomings in practice, policy and training”. Residents trapped in the burning tower were given mixed and inconsistent advice, and even cut off while appealing for help.

Sir Martin says every fire service in the country must now develop policies for “handling a large number of calls simultaneously”.

Speed up removal of dangerous cladding

Work to remove dangerous cladding from more than 400 high-rise buildings must be speeded up, the report says. Sir Martin raises concern over the “apparent slow rate of progress” in stripping buildings of the combustible material since the disaster took place over two years ago.

“It is not surprising that people living in such buildings are concerned for their safety,” he says. “I wish to add my voice in expressing my view that the programme of remedial work be pursued as vigorously as possible.”

Fire door checks four times a year

Smoke and toxic gases were allowed to spread through Grenfell Tower by “faulty and ineffective” fire doors, the report finds. Despite being designed to close automatically, many of the fire doors were left open because they were broken or damaged.

Sir Martin recommends that all owners of high-rise buildings should be legally compelled to check their fire doors every three months.