Fire services ‘making progress’ against Grenfell recommendations but challenges remain, says inspectorate

His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Fire & Rescue Services has released an update on how fire and rescue services are progressing against recommendations set out in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 report.

In an letter published yesterday, Sir Andy Cooke QPM DL said many fire and rescue services had made improvements in how they train for, communicate about, and plan operations for major incidents. Sir Andy also highlighted the ‘promising and innovative practices’ many services have adopted, such as using electronic systems to manage fire survival guidance (FSG).

However, Sir Andy added that challenges remain, ‘particularly in providing training, maintaining accurate records, and using electronic systems to manage incidents.’

He said that, while some services had collaborated to develop electronic systems, a lack of coordination meant that different solutions were being used across fire services, while some had no systems in place at all. This reality means that data sharing remains limited and insights gleaned are not being acted upon more widely.

‘The development of the Multi-Agency Incident Transfer system is a promising step forward. But fully implementing it will require focused commitment from FRSs and more resources,’ Sir Andy noted.

Sir Andy’s update follows the news earlier this week that the government has decided that Grenfell Tower will be ‘carefully taken down’ — a decision that has left many survivors and bereaved families feeling dismayed and angered.

---

To read similar articles, check out our Leadership channel