Fire chief abandoned Grenfell ‘stay put’ policy

A fire control room manager on the night of the Grenfell Tower blaze became “increasingly uncomfortable” with the stay-put policy and abandoned it within 15 minutes of her arrival.

Joanne Smith, senior operations manager for the London Fire Brigade (L F B ), was on call on 14 June last year.

After listening to operators’ calls and becoming aware of deteriorating conditions inside the tower, she made the “quick-time” decision that residents should be told to evacuate if able.

In a written statement to the public inquiry into the blaze, she said: “I had arrived at Stratford at approximately 2.15 am-within ten to 15 minutes the decision was made to change policy and that decision was mine.

“This would have been at approximately 2.30am-2.35am.”

The inquiry previously heard that the stay-put advice was officially abandoned at 2.47am – almost two hours after the first 999 call.

Ms Smith said she told Adrian Fenton, the deputy assistant commissioner responsible for the Brigade co-ordination centre, they should consider changing the policy.

The inquiry continues.