West Midlands Fire Service has taken decisive action to implement all relevant recommendations of the Grenfell Inquiry’s Phase 1 report. We have since focused on embedding and seeking continuous improvement in those areas, including:
- comprehensively rewriting our tall buildings policy and procedures. These cover the survival guidance given to 999 callers by our fire control staff, evacuation and stairwell protection, and we have updated all relevant training
- fitting of building information plates to all residential tall buildings in the West Midlands
- introduction of comprehensive Site-Specific Risk Information guidance and processes for our firefighters
- introduction of fire escape hoods for people to wear when being evacuated by our crews
- introduction of smoke-stopping curtains to reduce smoke travel and aid evacuation.
While we are confident in the steps we have taken so far, we recognise that there is still much more work to be done, as is our duty, and the Phase 2 report will guide much of this. The journey to safer communities is ongoing, and we remain committed to working with the National Fire Chiefs Council to continuously learn, adapt, and improve our services.
We will continue to honour the memory of those lost at Grenfell by striving to protect every resident in the West Midlands to the best of our ability. Our dedication to this cause is unwavering, and we pledge to uphold the highest standards of fire safety and protection.