Grenfell Tower Fire in London - Briefing for Councillors

Dear Cllrs,

Following the Grenfell Tower fire in London, Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service has issued a number of communications to our residents in the form of advice/guidance/information to reassure them of fires in high rise premises.

For your information, here is our news release and the safety advice for anyone living in a high rise building we issued :-

14^th June 2017

Residents reassured following London fire

Following the tragic events at Grenfell Tower in West London Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service (GFRS) are offering reassurance to residents and safety advice.

In Gloucestershire there are a small number of medium and high rise buildings. The local fire crews and fire safety enforcement teams are familiar with these premises and work closely with owners and occupiers to ensure the safety of all residents.

Residents in Gloucestershire should be vigilant in ensuring that fire safety precautions in blocks of flats are being maintained.

GFRS have provided the following tips about to help you make sure you and your families can be prepared:

• Think about how you’d all get out in case of a fire, making an escape plan and practising it will help ensure that everyone can get out, stay out and call 999

• Fit at least one smoke alarm on every level of your home so smoke can reach the alarms quicker giving you more warning time.

• Test your smoke alarms monthly. Smoke alarms can save your life, but only if they work.

• Clear your escape routes. Make sure you’re able to escape without tripping over to ensure a speedy exit

• Keep your door and window keys in a known and accessible place. Make sure everyone knows where the door and window keys are kept so they can reach them easily and get out quicker in case of a fire.

The fire service also offer free and Safe and Well home visits which can be arranged by contacting the service at http://www.glosfire.gov.uk/your_safety.html or phoning 0800 180 41 40.

Stewart Edgar, chief fire officer at Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “What has happened in West London is truly tragic and our thoughts go out to all of those affected overnight and today.

“The crews from London Fire Brigade have worked tirelessly throughout the night to deal with the fire and I would like to offer my support and gratitude to them during this testing time.

“Our message to residents in Gloucestershire is that we will continue working with residents and businesses in Gloucestershire to ensure our communities are as safe as they can possibly be.”

If anyone has concerns or requires advice on any aspect of fire safety, please contact 01452 888777, or www.glosfire.gov.uk or email: fire@glosfire.gov.uk.

ENDS

For Info:

• Firefighters carry out familiarisation visits and regular training in accordance with our firefighting plans.

• Fire Safety Enforcement Officers work closely with the person responsible for the premises to ensure the fire safety precautions are compliant, the evacuation procedures are effective and recommend on new technological fire safety solutions.

Residents in Gloucestershire should be vigilant in ensuring that fire safety precautions in blocks of flats are maintained by ensuring the following:

• The escape routes are free from obstructions, combustible materials and ignition sources.

• The fire alarm and smoke detection is in good working order.

• Residents understand what to do in the event of an emergency.

Issued by: Shôn Douglas, Media Team, Gloucestershire County Council, shon.douglas@gloucestershire.gov.uk, 01452 427554

GFRS objective is to reassure our public regarding medium-high rise fires. To do this we have a number of corporate communication initiatives and actions in place. These include (but are not limited to):

• Press release and updated high rise safety information on our website
• Radio and TV interviews set up – BBC Radio Glos, and BBC Points West breakfast, today at 08.00 hours, ITV West Country and BBC Radio Glos today at 13.00 hours, BBC Radio Glos tomorrow at 07.00 hours
• Face to face - Our firefighters will be visiting areas of Gloucestershire with medium-high rise buildings to undertake risk assessments, safety checks and reassure residents c/w safety messages
• Information - our crews will signpost to our website when they are visiting medium to high rise buildings, with the info/advice/guidance given on our website
• FAQs -We have asked residents to send in their questions and concerns so we can answer them directly
• Sharing of messages- we have shared our messages with public sector communication professionals  to share on their channels as appropriate
• Working with other FRS – we have communicated with other FRS to ensure we are offering a joined up communication approach  

If you receive any messages or questions from your local residents, please contact me and I can support you with your response or direct to one of our officers if needed.

Stewart Edgar

Chief Fire Officer and Operations Director

Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service

Gloucestershire County Council

Tri Service Centre, Waterwells Drive, Quedgeley, Gloucester, GL2 2AX

Tel: 01452 888777

www.glosfire.gov.uk