Published September 19, 2017
London Fire Chief Dany Cotton insists all high-rise flats should be retrofitted with sprinklers.
She believes the Grenfell Tower tragedy should become a ‘turning point’ for UK fire safety laws and sprinklers should no longer an optional ‘nice to have’ extra.
London Fire Brigade Commissioner Cotton believes the retrofitting of sprinklers should be one of the recommendations that follow public inquiry, led by Sir Martin Moore-Bick.
She said: “I think Grenfell should be a turning point.
“I support retrofitting – for me where you can save one life then it’s worth doing.
“This can’t be optional, it can’t be a nice to have, this is something that must happen.
“If that isn’t one of the recommendations (of the Grenfell Tower inquiry) then I will be so very disappointed.”
Commissioner Cotton led a team of 200 firefighters using 40 fire engines and a range of specialist vehicles in a desperate bid to rescue residents trapped in Grenfell Tower after fire broke out at the 24-storey block in North Kensington, London, shortly after midnight on June 14, 2007.
The fire spread quickly spread through the building, accelerated by cladding fixed to the building exterior, and 71 people lost their lives.
Experts claim the absence of sprinklers, and the reliance on a single fire escape were both crucial factors in the devastating death toll – and will be considered by the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, ordered by Prime Minister Theresa May immediately following the disaster.
Now Commissioner Cotton hopes the public inquiry will lead to a change in the law, which currently means only high rise residencies built since 2007 must have sprinklers fitted – whilst older buildings are left to owners discretion.
She added: “While we are not pre-empting the findings of the inquiry, now is the time to remind the government of life-saving recommendations we have been making for years.
“The Brigade is calling for residential tower blocks to be retrofitted with sprinklers and they should be mandatory in all new school builds and major refurbishment.”
Protect24 launched a bespoke retrofit fire protection solutions for housing associations and local authorities, which includes the installation of fire sprinkler systems, in the wake of the Grenfell disaster.
The Protect24 turnkey approach provides a complete solution from the physical installation, coordination and communication with residents and aftercare and support.
* image courtesy of London Fire Brigade
To learn more about Protect24, the services provided or to arrange a consultation with our team click this link.
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