Wyre Forest MP Mark Garnier has met with Hereford and Worcester Fire Authority safety commander Mark Preece in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy. With four tower blocks in Kidderminster, and many public buildings, Mark has been keen to understand the provisions that the Fire Authority has in place to keep Wyre Forest residents safe.
In an hour long meeting with Mark Preece, Mark learnt of many factors that are important to tower block residents and what provisions the authority is making, both in emergency action, but also in prevention measures. Matters discussed included details of intelligence about higher risk structures, strategy for fire prevention, routine checks and a host of other areas.
These included:
- All fire appliances are equipped with detailed information about every higher risk building, including floor plans, emergency strategies, alarms, sprinkers, fire strategies, escape routes, water sources and a host of other details vital to safe resolution of a fire or emergency.
- The inspection regime of all buildings in the H&W region. In the case of tower blocks, these are regular twice yearly inspections ensuring changes are monitored and escape routes are kept clear and fire systems are checked.
- The call out regime for tower blocks requires three appliances turn out for an unconfirmed fire, rising to four for a confirmed fire plus an aerial lift for higher access.
- Building standards around tower blocks include higher specification to surrounding areas to ensure high lift appliances can be deployed without risk of the ground giving way underneath.
- All public buildings, from hospitals to kebab shops, are inspected, and re-inspected on a risk based assessment.
- Emergency evacuation plans are developed on the basis of the risk to individuals and provisions available. For example, the challenges facing a hospital, with many bed bound patients, will be different from a college where the majority of people will be younger and fitter.
Mark Garnier and Mark Preece also discussed at length the “stay put” strategy in the event of a fire in a high rise block. A fire in a flat in a block will result in the immediate evacuation of the floors above and below the flat, with a command base set up two floors below the fire to tackle the blaze. The stay put strategy reduces risk to other residents who could be hurt in a mass evacuation. However, the stay put strategy requires all front doors on flats to be of a high-grade fire resistant standard. In the case of Wyre Forest Community Housing flats on Hurcott Road, the community housing group is mandated to ensure these doors are of required standard. But in the blocks at Hoobrook, where many of the flats are owner occupied, owners are not under the same requirements and so front doors may not be of required standards. The fire authority is in discussions with the Wyre Forest District Council to see if owner occupiers may be given financial help to upgrade their front doors to required standards.
On the wider response to the Grenfell Tower tragedy, local authorities are required to inspect all at risk buildings and this process is now under way. Mark Garnier has already spoken with WFDC shortly after the fire and has been assured that these checks had already been started.
After the meeting, Mark Garnier said: “The events in London are truly horrific and tragic. No words can truly express that shock that we have all felt at the images and the response to the tragedy could have been better. However, every tragedy must be seen as a learning opportunity. Details from certification of building materials, through qualifications of fitters to enforcement of regulatory requirements must be studied. Importantly, the emergency services, with decades of experience in fighting fires, will have a significant input into this process. Here in Wyre Forest, we must make sure that, in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, we are not in any immediate risk. But it is also very important that we maintain this level of vigilance and enacting the recommendations of the full report, when it is published in the future, is also vital.
“I am reassured my Mark Preece’s briefing. The work of Hereford and Worcester Fire Authority, in terms of fire prevention, has been successful over the years. Casualties have fallen dramatically and those in tower blocks and public buildings are now the minority compared to casualties in owner occupied properties. A combination of regulation and inspection in those buildings where there are regulations (public buildings and rental properties) has been, broadly, successful. But where there are no mandated requirements, as is the case with owner occupied residential properties, there are still casualties. That is why it is important that owner occupiers take advantage of the H&WFA free fire inspection service, details of which can be found on their website.
“I want to finish by thanking all those who strive to protect us. The emergency services – the fire authority, police and medical services – do an incredible job. We must never take them for granted, never underestimate their bravery and dedication, and do everything we can to make sure they know that they are appreciated. They need our support and thanks in every way.”