In 2022, on the fifth anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire, I wrote a personal account of the tragedy. I was a Fire Brigades Union (FBU) official in London at the time of the fire and was relatively close to events in the days, weeks and months afterwards.
Paul, I was also at that dreadful place on the day, with the police though, and I can confirm everything you said in there.
As for SOPs going out of the window, the Met’s TSG were present and the burning remnants of the cladding were falling on the crews who were trying to control that blaze. The TSG donned flameproof overalls and used the long riot shields to hold over the LFB staff engaged in fire fighting to protect them. Unfortunately the rumour got round they had ‘kitted up’ to stop the residents rioting. Nothing is further from the truth.
Luckily I saw little that was distressing but a story will haunt me forever. The body of a young child was found on a mezzanine floor. It was under five. I have a vision of that poor little sod getting separated from its parents in the panic, lost, and trying to find them, no doubt crying and in great distress, until overcome. I don’t think about it often now, thank heavens but when I do I feel quite uncomfortable - and I am not LFB who found the body.
I know your guys also broke their own rules re Breathing Apparatus. They couldn’t get to the top of the building constantly breathing in them as the air would run out so at great risk to themselves they took it off - against H&S regs no doubt - where they could, to preserve the oxygen they carried.
I can still see the fire fighters and ambulance staff crashed out on the grass around the estate there next morning, exhausted and mainlining water. On that day, you could not have paid anyone enough to do what those men and women did. It was pure public spirit and a desire to help those in distress, the greatest most generous human emotions were on display.
Contrast that with the powers that were involved in the cluster f- - k that got them all there. Corporate greed, regulatory incompetence and disregard. And those individuals mainly have salaries and bonuses that the humble fire fighters would never see.
Words at this point fail me, so I salute the heroes of your organisation and ambulance service who did what they could in a once-in-a-lifetime event, and mourn those who died absolutely needlessly to make a tower block look nicer.
The most important action now is prosecution of individuals at the highest levels.
I work in Construction Safety and if an Architect,Quantity Surveyor,Building Control Officer or Fire Consultant or H&S Professional goes to prison it will be a game changer.
Council Officials should also be prosecuted.
The HSE now have teeth with the new BSR organisation being set up to scrutinise new hugh rise projects.
But one issue that we’ll never know about is the figure of 72 fatalities being the correct figure.
With a housing crisis were flats sublet with overcrowding by people who can’t afford to pay the rents in an area in Zone 2 in London.
And whose benefit was the cladding for???
The residents or the Nottingham Hill set who would have seen this Council type high rise block as an eyesore.
I hope this doesn’t become a drawn out process like Hillsborough and justice is done.
72 people should never have died in 21st Century Britain!!!!!
I hope some of the politicians and corporate management actually face charges and court, but I doubt that will happen, above a certain level, you’re never held to account.
A terrible tragedy but aren't there still many questions not so much talked about. There were suggestions there were flats adapted for multiple occupancy not authorised by the local council and occupants who disappeared after the fire, possibly believed to have been there illegally. Faulty appliances in flats and serious failings in safety management, planning law and oversight of tenancy agreements. If any of this was true it could easily happen again somewhere else.
Hi David, you make good points about multiple occupancies and sub-letting. These were concerns on the day and it was definitely feared the death toll was going to be higher by orders of magnitude by some.
However I believe the MO has been put to bed at least, although I wouldn’t put money on that.
Paul, I was also at that dreadful place on the day, with the police though, and I can confirm everything you said in there.
As for SOPs going out of the window, the Met’s TSG were present and the burning remnants of the cladding were falling on the crews who were trying to control that blaze. The TSG donned flameproof overalls and used the long riot shields to hold over the LFB staff engaged in fire fighting to protect them. Unfortunately the rumour got round they had ‘kitted up’ to stop the residents rioting. Nothing is further from the truth.
Luckily I saw little that was distressing but a story will haunt me forever. The body of a young child was found on a mezzanine floor. It was under five. I have a vision of that poor little sod getting separated from its parents in the panic, lost, and trying to find them, no doubt crying and in great distress, until overcome. I don’t think about it often now, thank heavens but when I do I feel quite uncomfortable - and I am not LFB who found the body.
I know your guys also broke their own rules re Breathing Apparatus. They couldn’t get to the top of the building constantly breathing in them as the air would run out so at great risk to themselves they took it off - against H&S regs no doubt - where they could, to preserve the oxygen they carried.
I can still see the fire fighters and ambulance staff crashed out on the grass around the estate there next morning, exhausted and mainlining water. On that day, you could not have paid anyone enough to do what those men and women did. It was pure public spirit and a desire to help those in distress, the greatest most generous human emotions were on display.
Contrast that with the powers that were involved in the cluster f- - k that got them all there. Corporate greed, regulatory incompetence and disregard. And those individuals mainly have salaries and bonuses that the humble fire fighters would never see.
Words at this point fail me, so I salute the heroes of your organisation and ambulance service who did what they could in a once-in-a-lifetime event, and mourn those who died absolutely needlessly to make a tower block look nicer.
The most important action now is prosecution of individuals at the highest levels.
I work in Construction Safety and if an Architect,Quantity Surveyor,Building Control Officer or Fire Consultant or H&S Professional goes to prison it will be a game changer.
Council Officials should also be prosecuted.
The HSE now have teeth with the new BSR organisation being set up to scrutinise new hugh rise projects.
But one issue that we’ll never know about is the figure of 72 fatalities being the correct figure.
With a housing crisis were flats sublet with overcrowding by people who can’t afford to pay the rents in an area in Zone 2 in London.
And whose benefit was the cladding for???
The residents or the Nottingham Hill set who would have seen this Council type high rise block as an eyesore.
I hope this doesn’t become a drawn out process like Hillsborough and justice is done.
72 people should never have died in 21st Century Britain!!!!!
Paul, absolutely right. That stuff was put on the tower simply to make it ‘look nice’. Horrible.
Blairs comment on the report defies understanding and should be condemned by Starmer and the whole Government.
I hope some of the politicians and corporate management actually face charges and court, but I doubt that will happen, above a certain level, you’re never held to account.
A terrible tragedy but aren't there still many questions not so much talked about. There were suggestions there were flats adapted for multiple occupancy not authorised by the local council and occupants who disappeared after the fire, possibly believed to have been there illegally. Faulty appliances in flats and serious failings in safety management, planning law and oversight of tenancy agreements. If any of this was true it could easily happen again somewhere else.
Hi David, you make good points about multiple occupancies and sub-letting. These were concerns on the day and it was definitely feared the death toll was going to be higher by orders of magnitude by some.
However I believe the MO has been put to bed at least, although I wouldn’t put money on that.
A superb summary of your reflections and comments. I want to see you in the House not just on line and GB News.
AMEN!
Beau - how right you are.
A few lower level officials will be prosecuted but the top dogs will go free.