London Fire Brigade (LFB) has accepted all the recommendations directed to the Brigade and fire and rescue services and supports the other seven recommendations in the ‘London Fire Brigade’ section of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry (GTI) Phase 2 Report, setting out its response to each recommendation in detail.
The response, developed in collaboration with key stakeholders and relevant community groups, outlines the work which is already underway to address these recommendations and the further actions that will be taken.
This year, LFB announced the completion of every recommendation directed specifically to it in the GTI Phase 1 Report, introducing important policies, improved training and new equipment as a result. The Inquiry made 58 recommendations in the Phase 2 Report, of which 13 were in the section specifically about the London Fire Brigade, including:
Implementing Change
The Inquiry’s one recommendation for LFB focuses on creating robust systems to gather, review and implement lessons from previous incidents, inquests and investigations. The Brigade fully accepts this recommendation. LFB will continue to be a learning organization, building on the change implemented since Phase 1 of the Inquiry. It will ensure lessons from incidents are understood and good practice is shared and applied across the Brigade.
Significant efforts are already underway to improve learning from major incidents and ensure critical information is distributed more quickly to staff. LFB will also review its operational learning processes, which will consider best practice nationally.
The control room / Incident commanders / Operational planning
Three recommendations are directed at HMICFRS and suggest that further inspections should be carried out of the Brigade’s Control room, incident commander training, and operational planning to confirm that improvements made since 2017 have been sustained.
The Brigade was last inspected by HMICFRS in June 2024, and the outcome of the inspection is expected to be published this autumn. LFB has found the scrutiny and challenge provided by HMICFRS critical to driving change across the organisation. It will be up to the HMICFRS to decide how this recommendation will be met. LFB would welcome the further opportunity to demonstrate the improvements it has made.
The Brigade has made significant improvements to its Control Room since the Grenfell Tower fire, including the introduction of new training, policies and technology.
With funding from the Mayor of London, LFB has also invested in advanced fire training, as well as improved incident command and high-rise exercising, focusing on integrating the control room, with the incident ground and preparing incident commanders to take difficult, critical decisions at the earliest point of an incident.
The impact of this training on Londoners’ safety has already been demonstrated at incidents such as the 2021 New Providence Wharf and the Dagenham Spectrum Building fire in August 2024, where incident commanders quickly carried out full emergency evacuations of buildings to ensure resident safety.
Additionally, LFB has improved the collation and access to information about the risks associated with specific buildings, ensuring that firefighters, incident commanders, and Control staff have the necessary information to respond effectively to emergencies.
Radios
Among the five recommendations for all fire and rescue services, three addressed radio communications.
Following recommendations set out in Phase 1 of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry report, LFB introduced new fireground radios, which are intrinsically safe, higher-powered handsets that can be connected directly into the facemask of breathing apparatus to improve communications to the bridgehead. The radios also feature both analogue and digital capability and a programme of work is already underway to review the transition of radio communications from analogue to digital.
Water supply
Two other recommendations for fire and rescue services relate to water management at incidents.
Following the Phase 1 Report, the Brigade has worked closely with water utility companies to ensure improvements to water supply at incidents. The London Fire Commissioner and the Mayor of London will also be writing to water undertakers to remind them of their responsibilities to engage with fire services and the risks to public and firefighter safety of not doing so.
The Brigade will also be working with the British Standards Institution to improve the BS750 standard, as recommended by Phase 2 of the Inquiry, and has already begun discussions via its specialist Water Team.
College of Fire and Rescue
The Brigade supports the recommendation to establish a College of Fire and Rescue to set national standards and looks forward to working with government, the NFCC and the wider sector in the planning and delivery of the college.
Deployment of firefighters
The Brigade is also supportive of the recommendation for the NFCC to review national arrangements for how firefighters carry out instructions during a live incident. As the largest service which attends the most high-risk incidents, LFB is keen to take a leading role in supporting the NFCC with the review and has already reached out to the NFCC to offer its assistance.
Other recommendations
The Brigade will consider the wider recommendations from the Inquiry and set out a broader response in due course.
London Fire Commissioner Andy Roe said: “Our thoughts are, and will always be, with the 72 people who tragically lost their lives, the survivors, their families, and the entire Grenfell community. The comprehensive recommendations outlined in the Phase 2 Report reflect not only the depth of this tragedy, but also the complexity of its causes.
“We fully accept the recommendations of the Inquiry directed towards LFB and fire and rescue services. In recent weeks, I have been working closely with relevant community groups and key stakeholders to form our response, ensuring we continue on our path towards meaningful change. I am also committed to ongoing discussions with the Government to address the broader recommendations aimed at improving building safety standards.
“This year, we have delivered against all the recommendations directed at us from the Inquiry's Phase 1 Report. These recommendations have been central to driving lasting institutional change across the Brigade.
“We have introduced important policies, new equipment, improved training and ways of working, particularly in how we respond to fires in residential high-rise buildings. I expect the upcoming HMICFRS report will reflect the changes we have made, though we are far from complacent and know there is still much more to do.
“We will take the same approach to learning the lessons from Phase 2. We owe it to the bereaved, the survivors, the community and our own staff to continue learning and changing the way we work to ensure that whatever situations we face ahead of us, we are equipped, trained and ready to respond effectively.”
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “The Grenfell Tower fire was a devastating and avoidable tragedy. We owe it to every single one of the 72 people who lost their lives and those whose lives were changed forever to ensure that nothing like it ever happens again.
“It’s right that London Fire Brigade accept all the recommendations set out for them in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase Two Report. This is an important step, and I welcome the Brigade’s plans for delivering the further changes needed at pace and continuing to protect and serve London.
“I was relentless in ensuring LFB implemented all the recommendations from the first phase of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry which has meant the Brigade is now better prepared, organised and equipped to fight fires and keep all Londoners safe. But it’s clear there is still more work to do. I will continue to support and hold the London Fire Commissioner to account to ensure the Brigade continues to improve its performance and standards, so that we have the best possible fire service as we continue to build a safer London for everyone.”