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, , 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, , 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.”
