This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/oct/30/grenfell-tower-fire-survivors-welcome-damning-inquiry-report

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Grenfell Tower fire survivors welcome damning inquiry report Grenfell Tower fire survivors welcome damning inquiry report
(32 minutes later)
The survivors and the bereaved of Grenfell Tower fire have welcomed a damning public inquiry report into the disaster which concludes there were “systemic failings” by the London fire brigade. But they said it was “heartbreaking” to read that more of their loved ones could have been saved if the building was evacuated earlier. The survivors and the bereaved of the Grenfell Tower fire have welcomed a damning public inquiry report into the disaster that concludes there were “systemic failings” by the London fire brigade. But they said it was “heartbreaking” to read that more of their loved ones could have been saved if the building was evacuated earlier.
The long-delayed report into the blaze that claimed 72 lives was released on Wednesday morning by the inquiry chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bick and was branded “strong” by Grenfell United which represents hundreds of members of the community affected by the 14 June 2017 disaster. The group said the London fire brigade’s failure to prepare and plan for a cladding fire and evacuation, described by Moore-Bick as “gravely inadequate”, was a breach of national guidance and the LFB’s leadership must now “stop hiding behind the bravery of their front line fire fighters [and] ... face consequences for these failings if there is to be change”. The long-delayed report into the blaze that claimed 72 lives was released on Wednesday morning by the inquiry chairman, Sir Martin Moore-Bick, and was branded “strong” by Grenfell United, which represents hundreds of members of the community affected by the 14 June 2017 disaster.
The survivors said rank and file firefighters, rather than being scapegoated in the report, were let down by their training, procedures, equipment and leadership. Moore-Bick’s conclusion that the refurbishment of the tower completed in 2016 with the fixture of combustible cladding broke building regulations adds to their “determination to see criminal charges brought against those responsible for turning our homes into a death trap”, they said. The group said the London fire brigade’s failure to prepare and plan for a cladding fire and evacuation, described by Moore-Bick as “gravely inadequate”, was a breach of national guidance and the LFB’s leadership must “stop hiding behind the bravery of their front line fire fighters [and] ... face consequences for these failings if there is to be change”.
The survivors said rank and file firefighters, rather than being scapegoated in the report, were let down by their training, procedures, equipment and leadership. Moore-Bick’s conclusion that the refurbishment of the tower completed in 2016 with the fixture of combustible cladding broke building regulations, adds to their “determination to see criminal charges brought against those responsible for turning our homes into a death trap”, they said.
“Justice means different things for all of us but the truth needs to be at the heart of our collective healing. We have been waiting a long time for this report. Today’s findings give us some confidence that our journey towards truth has finally begun. We now need to urgently see responsibility and action from this report, not excuses. One of the most worrying findings is Sir Martin Moore-Bick’s view that the LFB are currently an institution at risk of not learning the lessons from Grenfell.”“Justice means different things for all of us but the truth needs to be at the heart of our collective healing. We have been waiting a long time for this report. Today’s findings give us some confidence that our journey towards truth has finally begun. We now need to urgently see responsibility and action from this report, not excuses. One of the most worrying findings is Sir Martin Moore-Bick’s view that the LFB are currently an institution at risk of not learning the lessons from Grenfell.”
Unveiling the report, Moore-Bick called for urgent action by the government to improve safety in high rise blocks and in a message to the prime minister, Boris Johnson, said he wanted to see his recommendations, which included improvements in fighting high-rise fires and new national guidelines for evacuating high-rise flats, implemented without delay. Unveiling the report, Moore-Bick called for urgent action by the government to improve safety in high-rise blocks and in a message to the prime minister, Boris Johnson, said he wanted to see his recommendations, which included improvements in fighting high-rise fires and new national guidelines for evacuating high-rise flats, implemented without delay.
“Grenfell Tower was home to a strong and vibrant community that was torn apart by the fire,” he said. “In some cases whole families died and many people are mourning relatives friends and neighbours with whom they shared their lives.”“Grenfell Tower was home to a strong and vibrant community that was torn apart by the fire,” he said. “In some cases whole families died and many people are mourning relatives friends and neighbours with whom they shared their lives.”
Moore-Bick found:Moore-Bick found:
Behailu Kebede, in whose fourth floor flat the fire started, was not at fault.Behailu Kebede, in whose fourth floor flat the fire started, was not at fault.
The principle reason the fire spread was the aluminium composite cladding filled with plastic used on the building exterior. The principal reason the fire spread was the aluminium composite cladding filled with plastic used on the building exterior.
Firefighters showed “courage and devotion to duty” and 999 call operators were “unstinting” in their efforts to help trapped residents.Firefighters showed “courage and devotion to duty” and 999 call operators were “unstinting” in their efforts to help trapped residents.
Incident commanders were not trained to cope with the fire and there was no contingency plan for evacuation Incident commanders were not trained to cope with the fire and there was no contingency plan for evacuation.
The LFB failed to lift the stay put advice when the stairs remained passable , which cost lives The LFB failed to lift the “stay put” advice when the stairs remained passable, which cost lives.
The brigade suffered “significant systemic failings”.The brigade suffered “significant systemic failings”.
Communications systems failed and there were serious deficiencies in command and control.Communications systems failed and there were serious deficiencies in command and control.
Behailu Kebede, in whose fourth floor flat the fire started, was not at fault.Behailu Kebede, in whose fourth floor flat the fire started, was not at fault.
The principle reason the fire spread was the aluminium composite cladding filled with plastic used on the building exterior. The principal reason the fire spread was the aluminium composite cladding filled with plastic used on the building exterior.
Firefighters showed “courage and devotion to duty” and 999 call operators were “unstinting” in their efforts to help trapped residents.Firefighters showed “courage and devotion to duty” and 999 call operators were “unstinting” in their efforts to help trapped residents.
Incident commanders were not trained to cope with the fire and there was no contingency plan for evacuation Incident commanders were not trained to cope with the fire and there was no contingency plan for evacuation.
The LFB failed to lift the stay put advice when the stairs remained passable , which cost lives The LFB failed to lift the “stay put” advice when the stairs remained passable, which cost lives.
The brigade suffered “significant systemic failings”.The brigade suffered “significant systemic failings”.
Communications systems failed and there were serious deficiencies in command and control.Communications systems failed and there were serious deficiencies in command and control.
The survivors said the fact Moore-Bick found the refurbishment breached fire safety regulations means the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea which owned the building, its tenants management organisation and the construction companies involved now have serious questions to answer in the second phase of the inquiry which starts in January and will conduct 18 months of hearings running until the middle of 2021. The survivors said the fact Moore-Bick found the refurbishment breached fire safety regulations meant the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, which owned the building, its tenants management organisation and the construction companies involved had serious questions to answer in the second phase of the inquiry that starts in January and will conduct 18 months of hearings running until the middle of 2021.
In parallel with the inquiry the Metropolitan police are investigating possible cases of manslaughter and corporate manslaughter, but detectives are not planning to forward evidence to prosecutors for consideration until after the second phase of the public inquiry is complete. It will consider, among other things, the design and construction of the £10m refurbishment between 2014 and 2016 and the government’s role in fire safety both by regulation and provision of effective fire and rescue services. In parallel with the inquiry, the Metropolitan police are investigating possible cases of manslaughter and corporate manslaughter, but detectives are not planning to forward evidence to prosecutors for consideration until after the second phase of the public inquiry is complete. It will consider, among other things, the design and construction of the £10m refurbishment between 2014 and 2016 and the government’s role in fire safety both by regulation and provision of effective fire and rescue services.
Moore-Bick’s recommendations included requiring high-rise building owners to provide fire brigades with details of external wall materials and building plans, regular inspections of high rises and lifts, national guidelines for evacuations of high rise flats and urgent inspections of fire doors across all multi-occupancy, residential properties. Moore-Bick’s recommendations include requiring high-rise building owners to provide fire brigades with details of external wall materials and building plans, regular inspections of high-rises and lifts, national guidelines for evacuations of high rise flats and urgent inspections of fire doors across all multi-occupancy, residential properties.
“The prime minister must not only accept these recommendations in full, he must also outline how and when he will ensure they are implemented,” Grenfell United said in a statement.“The prime minister must not only accept these recommendations in full, he must also outline how and when he will ensure they are implemented,” Grenfell United said in a statement.
“He must bring in a national evacuation plan for high rises, new laws for building owners and ensure there must be institutional change at the LFB so that lessons are learnt.” “He must bring in a national evacuation plan for high-rises, new laws for building owners and ensure there must be institutional change at the LFB so that lessons are learnt.”
Grenfell United called for more resources for the fire service to make the necessary changes to training and equipment and said: “Our thoughts today are once again with people still sleeping in buildings covered in highly combustible cladding and insulation. This cannot go on any longer. The immediate and real dangers of these materials are now beyond any doubt. Lives are at risk and the government need to treat this as a national emergency.”Grenfell United called for more resources for the fire service to make the necessary changes to training and equipment and said: “Our thoughts today are once again with people still sleeping in buildings covered in highly combustible cladding and insulation. This cannot go on any longer. The immediate and real dangers of these materials are now beyond any doubt. Lives are at risk and the government need to treat this as a national emergency.”
Boris Johnson said: “today, the whole country, the whole world, is finally hearing the truth about what happened at Grenfell Tower on the 14th of June 2017. For the survivors, the bereaved, and the local community, this report will prove particularly harrowing. Yet I hope it strengthens their faith in the inquiry’s desire to determine the facts of the fire – and in this government’s commitment to airing those facts in public, no matter how difficult they may be, and acting on them. That commitment is absolute.” Boris Johnson said: “Today, the whole country, the whole world, is finally hearing the truth about what happened at Grenfell Tower on 14 June 2017. For the survivors, the bereaved, and the local community, this report will prove particularly harrowing. Yet I hope it strengthens their faith in the inquiry’s desire to determine the facts of the fire – and in this government’s commitment to airing those facts in public, no matter how difficult they may be, and acting on them. That commitment is absolute.”
Dany Cotton, the London fire commissioner, said: “I want to express our deepest sorrow at not being able to save all those who died in the Grenfell Tower fire. The suffering of the bereaved, survivors and community will never be forgotten by any of us in the brigade.”Cotton said her colleagues faced “impossible conditions that residents and the emergency services must never be placed in again” and she was “disappointed at some of the criticism of individual staff members who were placed in completely unprecedented circumstances”.She said the LFB would carefully and fully consider Moore-Bick’s recommendations, adding the LFB was disappointed Moore-Bick did not propose the wider use of sprinklers. “We are lobbying for major building regulation change and urgent research into ‘buildings that fail’ on fire safety, which leaves the national ‘stay put’ strategy no longer viable,” she said. “We will never give up until all of the changes we are calling for to protect residents have been made.”
Grenfell Tower inquiryGrenfell Tower inquiry
Grenfell Tower fireGrenfell Tower fire
FirefightersFirefighters
London
news
Share on FacebookShare on Facebook
Share on TwitterShare on Twitter
Share via EmailShare via Email
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn
Share on PinterestShare on Pinterest
Share on WhatsAppShare on WhatsApp
Share on MessengerShare on Messenger
Reuse this contentReuse this content