Mayor asks Fire Commissioner to review LFB's requirements

Mayor asks Fire Commissioner to review Brigade’s requirements following the Grenfell Tower fire

Sadiq Khan will meet with the Commissioner of the London Fire Brigade today (27 June) to discuss what extra specialist equipment and support the Fire Service might require to keep the capital safe in the wake of the lessons learnt from the Grenfell Tower fire.

The Mayor of London has invited Dany Cotton to City Hall to ask for her assessment of the resources London Fire Brigade will need, given the rapid increase in the number of tall buildings built in London over recent years, particularly when combined with the ageing stock of towers that were constructed in the capital during the post-war period and refurbishments that have taken place.

Sadiq will be joined at the meeting by the Chair of the London Fire Authority, Fiona Twycross, and they will ask the Commissioner to report back to them with a review of the Brigade's requirements as soon as possible.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: "The ferocity of the fire at Grenfell Tower shocked the entire country and the Prime Minister has announced there will be a Public Inquiry. But it is crucial that any lessons are learned and taken on board at as early a stage as possible. This was the largest and most challenging fire we have seen in this country for decades.

“And with so many tall buildings in our city the public need to have confidence that they will be kept safe. Nobody can fail to have been inspired by the selfless bravery of the firefighters who risked their lives to save others. I am determined to ensure that they have every specialist resource and support required to face the challenges of the future."

Sadiq will also use the meeting to underline his gratitude to the Commissioner and all of her colleagues at the London fire Brigade, on behalf of every Londoner, for their incredible work on the night of the fire and in the days that have followed. He attended Grenfell Tower on the 14th of June and on many occasions since and thanked the firefighters he met. Sadiq has also already visited the London Fire Brigade Operations Centre to thank the London Fire Brigade call handlers.

London Fire Commissioner, Dany Cotton, said: “On the night of the Grenfell Tower fire over 200 firefighters were on the scene, with first crews on the ground in a matter of minutes and they did all that they possibly could to save as many lives as possible. This was a major incident, now subject to police investigation and a public inquiry, but as with any significant fire I want to carefully examine our requirements in relation to every aspect and outcome of the incident.”