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Grenfell fire officer who ordered evacuation named new LFB chief
The fire officer who took the decision to revoke ‘stay put’ at the Grenfell Tower fire has today been named as the new head of the London Fire Brigade (LFB).
Andy Roe, previously deputy commissioner for operations at the LFB, will take up the role of commissioner from the start of next month as a replacement for Dany Cotton.
Ms Cotton, who faced criticism over her “insensitive” comments during the Grenfell Inquiry, previously announced that she would be stepping down in April.
However her departure was last week brought forward four months after London mayor Sadiq Khan reportedly faced pressure from grieving families of the victims of the 2017 tragedy.
The first phase of the Grenfell Inquiry also criticised the LFB for “serious shortcomings” and “systemic” failures in its handling of the fire. Inquiry chair Sir Martin-Moore Bick’s report said that the LFB’s preparations for a fire like Grenfell were “gravely inadequate”.
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Mr Khan said today: “The Grenfell Tower Inquiry report made it clear there were institutional failures that meant, while firefighters performed with great courage and bravery, the overall response to the disaster was not good enough, and there are significant lessons for London Fire Brigade.
“I look forward to working with Andy Roe to deliver on the inquiry’s recommendations and to ensure the transformation of the brigade is carried out as effectively and swiftly as possible.”
Mr Roe, a former army officer who has moved through the LFB’s ranks since joining in 2002, is currently responsible for the brigade’s 103 fire stations and 5,000 staff.
He had operational command for the Croydon tram crash in 2016 and took the decision to revoke the ‘stay put’ advice minutes after becoming incident commander at the Grenfell Tower fire, the LFB said.
Mr Roe said: “We have some real challenges ahead, but I’ll be working tirelessly with the brigade, the mayor and London’s communities to ensure we deliver on the recommendations of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry report.
“I’m looking forward to leading the brigade through a period of transformation and delivering a workforce that truly reflects the diverse city we serve.”
