The scale of the fire that engulfed Grenfell Tower in June was unprecedented.
Firefighters all around the world would have watched with horror as the fire took hold as it did.
In over 30 years working within the fire and rescue service, I have never seen a fire pose such a huge threat to human life.
The firefighters’ bravery and professionalism have caught the imagination of the whole country. It will have been the toughest shift of their lives, and the memory will run deep for a long time.
I have heard initial accounts from some of those who responded that night, including the remarkable response of those on duty in London’s emergency fire control.
They dealt with unimaginable horrors but reacted with absolute professionalism and dedication. Fire control staff provide a crucial link in the chain of fire service emergency response. We all need to remember that.
The stories I have heard are only a tiny fraction of the remarkable series of events of that night as firefighters fought, against all odds, to save lives in a fire which should never have happened.
In those circumstances, normal procedures and practices could not be applied. Instead, our members drew on their knowledge, skills, teamwork and sheer determination to improvise and to maximise effectiveness.
They did all this because there were lives to save and they were determined to do anything within their power to rescue those who were trapped.
We now face further challenges. The Grenfell disaster is at the heart of political debate today.
There is to be a public inquiry and the FBU needs to be central to that. We have unique experience in such processes.
Sadly, we are the only fire service organisation which is involved in every single inquest relating to the deaths of firefighters.
We, therefore, are uniquely placed to play a central role in investigating this incident and assessing events against previous discussions, debates and policy changes.
Grenfell has to be – must be – a moment for a major change of direction. The war on public safety has to end.
The relentless attack on public services and those who deliver them has to end. The best tribute we can pay to those who lost their lives is to fight for justice and ensure a disaster like this never happens again.
PAY PROPOSALS
It will not have been lost on anyone that, within days of the Grenfell disaster, government ministers were re-emphasising their determination to stick to their 1% pay policy.
This was despite the Tories losing their majority in the general election.
Latest estimates say pay restraint has left firefighters more than £2,000 a year worse off.
There was a wide range of views expressed in a consultation with members over the recent pay proposals from the national employers.
They offered a 2% increase if the discussions around the work trials continued. A 3% increase would follow (and increases for 2018, 2019 and 2020) but only on the basis that an agreement was concluded on the work trials.
It was a complicated proposal and we are in a difficult situation – not least because central funding to the service has been cut to such a huge extent.
In these circumstances, we need to try to continue discussions in order to develop a clear position from the employers on which members can make a decision. Please follow these developments closely.
