London Fire Brigade invests in electric-hybrid fire engine

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London Fire Brigade has announced it investing in the development of an electric-hybrid fire engine as part of its commitment to reduce carbon emissions, supporting the Mayor of London’s ambition for London to be net zero carbon by 2030.

The Brigade is currently working with Emergency One, a leading manufacturer of specialist fire and rescue service appliances, to build a Zero Emission Capable Pumping Appliance (ZEPA1). It will be the first fire and rescue service to use an electric-hybrid fire engine when it is due to start being trialled later this year.

Developing zero emission solutions for fire engines can be particularly challenging as they have demanding performance requirements as they need to both attend incidents as soon as possible, be able to pump water for long periods of time and transport equipment and machinery to deal with fires, flooding and other incidents.

This announcement comes during London Climate Action Week, where there is a huge focus on finding new ways to create a sustainable Net Zero London and follows years of work to reduce the emissions from the Brigade’s fleet and support electric and hybrid vehicles. A total of 96% of all the Brigade’s buildings have electric vehicle charge points, with 242 charging sockets. A further three fire stations have publicly accessible rapid charging.

London Fire Commissioner Andy Roe said: “Our first priority is always to ensure the Brigade provides a first-class prevention, protection and emergency response service for London. But for some time we have been looking towards a more sustainable future and working to identify the challenges and solutions to ensure that we as a fire service can move to a zero emission fleet.

“ZEPA1 is a very big and exciting step for us and the whole of the UK fire service and we are incredibly proud to be part of the innovation that will lead to the UK’s first electric-hybrid fire engines at one of our fire stations.

“It is hoped that in leading the way on developing an electric-hybrid fire engine, the project will help drive and grow the market for zero emission specialist vehicles in the UK’s emergency services and particularly in the fire service.”

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “It’s fantastic to see London Fire Brigade driving innovation among fire services across the country by supporting the UK’s first electric-hybrid fire engine.

“I am passionate about tackling the climate crisis, which is why London is leading the world in taking bold action to reduce carbon emissions, with a commitment to make our capital zero-carbon by 2030. I am determined to build a greener and safer city for everyone.

“Our emergency services are a key part of our clean air goals and this high-performance green fire engine will help to ensure Londoners breathe cleaner air whilst working to tackle blazes across the city – proving once again that sustainability can and must be at the heart of the modernisation of our public services.”

ZEPA1 is planned to be trialled as a frontline fire engine later this year and is capable of meeting all of the Brigade’s demanding operations – ensuring it will carry out the work of a standard diesel appliance in travelling to a fire, pumping the water required to put it out, and travelling back to the station.

LFB ‘in serious need of funding’ to tackle building safety crisis

by Featured NewsSafety

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) commissioner Andy Roe has said the fire service is in serious need of funding if it is to effectively tackle the building safety crisis.

At a City Hall Plenary meeting in February, LFB Commissioner Roe said that to inspect just 10% or 20% of London’s approximately 95,000 mid-rise buildings for fire safety defects, the LFB would need to recruit a “significant labour force” of “a couple of hundred” additional specialist fire safety inspecting officers. He also said that there is an £8 million budget gap expected for the LFB in 2022/23.

During Mayor’s Question Time on 19 May, Labour’s London Assembly Fire and Resilience Spokesperson, Anne Clarke AM, entreated the government to support people living in residential blocks of all heights and called for proper funding for the LFB to tackle the building safety scandal, seeking compensation for leaseholders who have already paid out of their own pocket to fix potentially deadly fire risks.

Secretary of State for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), Michael Gove, stated developers will pay for mid-rise buildings between 11 and 18 metres with dangerous cladding, and funding has been provided for 8,500 high rise buildings above 18 meters in London.

Blocks below 11 metres that have been deemed in need of remediation work will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, but the government has stopped short of providing blanket protection under the Building Safety Act as revealed by Housing Minister Stuart Andrew in the Commons last month. In response to a question from Ms Clarke, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, stated: “I think the height requirement should go, either your building is safe, or it isn’t”.

Ms Clarke said: “Nearly five years on from the Grenfell tragedy it’s completely unacceptable that so many Londoners are living in unsafe homes. Ministers must extend remediation support to all residential buildings with safety defects or combustible cladding. Regardless of height, if leaseholders have already paid, they are owed compensation.

“Londoners are being let down. They’re dealing with this on top of an unprecedented cost of living crisis. It’s disgusting so many have been left to sit with this hanging over their heads. This is a building safety scandal, not just a cladding scandal. The Fire Brigade needs more funding from the government so it can recruit hundreds of specialist fire safety officers to make London safe.”

New aerial ladders to hit London’s streets

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New aerial ladders that are more responsive to drive, faster to set up and with greater rescue capabilities are soon to hit the streets of London as the London Fire Brigade continue to improve its ability to deal with high rise incidents.

Twelve new 32 metre appliances known as turntable ladders are part of the aerial replacement project and have many improvements on the existing fleet, the biggest being that the ladder articulates, allowing for greater maneuverability. The articulating top section means that down London’s narrow streets the turntable ladder can now set up closer to the building than previous aerial appliances. The reach obtained can also means that the machines can be placed further away and overcome obstacles which would have problematic previously.

The new turntable ladders are swift and responsive to drive and can reach their top working height within a minute from the moment of arrival at an incident. Other features include a detachable thermal imaging camera, improved stretcher capabilities all of which will enhance our operations at height. They will also improve our capabilities for lighting and observation of emergencies from above, giving incident commanders greater knowledge from the sky.

Turntable ladders are used by us for a wide range of tasks such as aerial water towers to put water on buildings from height, rescues, high level lighting and as observation platforms. The new engines will be highly visible on London’s streets with its bright yellow ladder, bumpers and fenders. It also has driver aides like pre-emptive braking and lane change technology.

London Fire Commissioner Andy Roe said: “Our new aerial ladders are more responsive, quicker to set up and improve our ability to fight fires and rescue people from height. Our determination to get these working on London’s streets despite the challenges Covid-19 has given us shows our commitment to improve our response, especially at high rise incidents.”

Training has been able to start on the new turntable ladders due to the hard work of our staff and in close liaison with the Fire Brigades Union to make sure it can be done safely during the pandemic. The courses were completely revamped to make sure safe procedures are in place including the wearing of masks during driver training, increased open air training and regular sanitation of delegates hands and the machines. Internal training venues were found quickly to make sure staff didn’t need to travel long distances and the risk to those involved could be reduced.

Firefighters have also been incredibly flexible, attending courses at short notice to make sure the vehicles become operational as soon as possible. The Brigade’s training provider Babcock have made additional machines for training available so that multiple venues can be used, allowing for increased training while maintaining social distancing.

www.london-fire.gov.uk/

New figures reveal 20% rise in smoking-related fires during pandemic 

by Passive

London Fire Brigade (LFB) has published figures showing a startling rise in smoking-related fires in the capital since the start of the UK lockdown. The 20% increase in fires comes despite the recently reported fall in smokers, with 1 million people in the UK kicking the habit during the pandemic.

Smoking remains one of the leading causes of fires, with hundreds of fires around the country caused by discarded cigarettes each year. In November 2019, The Cube in Bolton was devastated by a fire now concluded to have been started by a discarded cigarette on a combustible balcony. This is, sadly, a staggeringly common occurrence with a litany of balcony fires caused by smoking materials the length and breadth of the country.

LFB report in their latest figures that smoking materials caused over 500 fires during the lockdown period. Most notable was a blaze in a block of flats in Kennington in June started by a discarded cigarette from a higher floor igniting a first-floor balcony. Whilst the flat was destroyed, all residents fortunately were able to evacuate although 18 adults and children required treatment by ambulance crews.

Richard Izzard, Managing Director of non-combustible aluminium decking manufacturers AliDeck, said “We are seeing balcony fires all around the UK with worrying regularity, most of which have been started either by the use of barbecues or carelessly discarded cigarettes. With more people staying indoors or working from home during the Covid lockdown, it’s no surprise to see a rise in the figures but simple steps to remove and replace combustible materials would solve the issue at a stroke.”

Short of an apparently very unlikely behavioural change in smokers, the only way to reduce the risk of fires on balconies being caused by discarded cigarettes is for all combustible materials to be removed and replaced with non-combustible options, such as aluminium decking which is A-Rated for fire-safety. Removing combustible materials such as timber or composite balcony decking will immediately result in safer buildings and help to protect lives and property.

www.london-fire.gov.uk/

Government failures over cladding lead to extra hours for firefighters

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London firefighters are spending over 4,000 hours per month visiting high rise blocks where fire safety failings have resulted in ‘Stay Put’ advice being suspended.

Labour’s London Assembly Fire and Resilience Spokesperson, Andrew Dismore AM, who obtained these figures from a series of written questions to the Mayor, said that the Government’s “dither and delay” over removing dangerous cladding from tower blocks is leading to the London Fire Brigade (LFB) becoming a “free building safety service for tower block owners”.

High rise blocks of flats are designed to stop the spread of fire between apartments, which is the basis of the “Stay Put” advice. In March, the LFB identified that in 120 tower blocks, Stay Put was suspended because each building was still wrapped in Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding, like that used on the Grenfell Tower.

In March, another 166 towers had the Stay Put policy revoked due to other factors such as compartmentation failures or the presence of other types of dangerous cladding, such as high-pressure laminates.

As of June, the advice in 274 tower blocks in the capital is now for all households to simultaneously evacuate in the event of a fire instead.

The LFB is currently dispatching a fire engine and a crew of between four and six firefighters to check these buildings twice a month while Stay Put advice is suspended.

The building checks, including the follow-up work for both visits, take two to four hours to complete on average.

This comes despite the Government’s previous pledge to strip ACM from tower blocks by June 2020, in the wake of the Grenfell tragedy three years ago.

The Mayor of London’s Budget guidance for 2020/2021 shows that in the absence of additional Government funding, the LFB will need to make £25 million of savings over the coming years due to the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak.

Labour’s London Assembly Fire and Resilience Spokesperson, Andrew Dismore AM, said:

“The Government’s dither and delay in stripping dangerous cladding from high rises is contributing to the London Fire Brigade becoming a free building safety service for tower block owners.

“Keeping Londoners safe will always be the top priority, but providing this service takes time that could be used for other important duties such as training exercises and conducting smoke alarm checks.

“If the Government is going to require the Brigade to pick up the slack from its stalling building safety programme, it should allocate the necessary extra funding and resources.

“Firefighters have stepped up during the Covid-19 outbreak, from driving ambulances and fitting masks to delivering supplies in the community. However, the fallout from the pandemic is also due to have a huge impact on the Brigade’s finances.

“The Government must get its act together over cladding remediation and properly invest in our emergency services”

Amazon removes balcony barbecues over fire risk fears

by Active

Retail giant Amazon has removed a number of barbecues specifically designed for use on balconies from sale over serious safety concerns highlighted by London Fire Brigade.

The Brigade’s Deputy Commissioner Richard Mills wrote to the firm and other companies that stock or manufacture the products last month, stating that they are a serious concern with regards to public safety.

Amazon and gift retailer Menkind both responded, confirming they had removed the items from sale and contacted customers who had purchased them offering a full refund if they return or dispose of the barbecues.

Deputy Commissioner Mills is now urgently asking anyone who has purchased such a barbecue and have received an email from one of these companies not to ignore it and to take the risks seriously. If customers have purchased a balcony barbecue from another outlet, they must contact the company and raise the issue if they haven’t heard from them.

He said: “We welcome the prompt and crucial action taken by both Menkind and Amazon in response to the concerns we raised.

“We advise that people never barbecue on their balconies as balcony fires can be devastating.

“Products designed specifically for people to barbecue on their balconies are incredibly irresponsible, and we are now asking customers to take action immediately and not to ignore the warning.

“The fact these companies took such swift action to take these products off the shelves shows what a very real risk they are. However, we remain deeply concerned that other companies did not respond to my letter and that these products may still be available for sale and customers are unaware of the dangers of using them.”

Amazon spokesperson said: “Safety is extremely important to Amazon. As soon as the London Fire Brigade raised concerns and new evidence about these particular products we took quick action, removed them from sale and contacted customers. We value the expertise of the London Fire Brigade and are committed to working closely with them and other relevant authorities on these matters. If customers ever have a concern about an item they’ve purchased, we encourage them to contact our Customer Service team directly so we can investigate and take appropriate action.”

Firefighters have attended more than 600 balcony fires in London in the last three years, including one at a block of flats in Deptford in May which was caused by a barbecue being disposed of in a plastic bag. Dozens of residents were evacuated from the building and a number of people were permanently displaced.

Menkind’s Marketing Director, Fred Prego, said: “Our customers’ health and safety is of utmost importance and we have taken swift action following fire safety concerns from the London Fire Brigade over the balcony barbecue product.

“We immediately removed this product from sale and contacted Menkind customers who purchased it, advising them not to use it on balconies and that they can return it for a full refund.

“Menkind is committed to complying with the latest product safety laws and regulations and we continuously collaborate with relevant authorities on the matter.”

London Fire Brigade warns of potential spike in fires as pubs re-open to public

by Safety

The London Fire Brigade is warning of a possible spike in fires due to concerns that people may drink to excess as pubs, bars and restaurants open their doors to the public for the first time in three months.

Since the lockdown, the amount of fires where alcohol was cited as an impairment has dropped by a quarter. While cooking remains a leading cause of alcohol-related fires, there has been a 37% reduction in the number of fires caused by cooking under the influence, which the Brigade believes could be attributed to the closure of London’s pubs.

With around one-in-three people who died in a fire last year having alcohol in their system, there’s a concern that the long-awaited re-opening of pubs could result in a sudden surge in devastating fires.

Even at the best of times, cooking can be hard to manage and when someone has been drinking alcohol, the risk of having an accident increases as a person’s co-ordination decreases.

Paul Jennings, the London Fire Brigade’s assistant commissioner for fire safety, said: “As the lockdown eases, we understand that people are excited for the re-opening of pubs, bars and restaurants after months of closure, but we urge them to drink responsibly. Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol can seriously impair someone’s judgements and can put them at a very real risk of having an accident. With more fires likely to start in the kitchen than any other room in the home, it’s best for people to stay away from cooking if they’ve had a few drinks.”

The NHS has stated that, after drinking just four-to-six units of alcohol (ie the equivalent of around just two standard glasses of wine), the part of a person’s brain associated with judgement and decision-making is affected, resulting in more reckless behaviour and affecting their reaction time.

Fire brigade chief praises new rental sector electricity regulations

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London Fire Brigade’s deputy assistant commissioner for fire safety has praised the new safety regulations which have now come in to effect in the private rental sector.

Charlie Pugsley says: “These new regulations … should be seen as a huge win for tenants who often have to battle with landlords to ensure their homes are safe. Most landlords provide well-maintained and safe accommodation for their tenants, but there are those that don’t and put people’s lives at risk. So it’s a positive step that tenants now have protection and the support of local authorities if landlords don’t comply.

“Sadly, we are all too aware of what the devastating consequences of faulty electrics can be and provided detailed data to the working group to shape the guidance.

“As these regulations do not cover electrical appliances, only fixed electrical installations, we would urge people to ensure their appliances are safe and always register them so you can be informed if there is a fault identified.”

The regulations mean:

  • Electrical wiring, sockets, consumer units (fuse boxes) and other fixed electrical parts in rented homes must be inspected and tested every five years, or more often if the inspector thinks it necessary.
  • Throughout the whole time a tenant is living at the property, national electrical safety standards must be met.
  • Landlords must give the tenant a report that shows the condition of the property’s electrical installations. They also have to give this to the local council if they ask for it.

Inspections will find out if any electrical installations are overloaded, if there are any potential electric shock risks or fire hazards, if there is any defective electrical work and if there is a lack of earthing or bonding.

If the report identifies any issues, landlords will have 28 days to carry out necessary works, or less if the inspector deems the work more urgent.

The new regulations are in place for those who sign tenancy agreements from now onwards. If a tenancy was signed before July 1 the home will be covered from April 1 2021.

www.london-fire.gov.uk/

Prime Minister warns £25m cut to London Fire Brigade

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The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has vowed to fight “unthinkable” proposals to cut the budget for the London Fire Brigade by £25m over two years, as part of the Mayor of London’s £500m saving plans.

The FBU has condemned the “huge damage to the fire service” left over from Boris Johnson’s time as Mayor of London. Central government have so far refused to bail out the GLA’s budget shortfall accrued during the coronavirus pandemic.

The union has criticised Mayor Sadiq Kahn for “passing on Tory cuts to the very emergency services that keep people safe” and has vowed to hold him to his commitment to protect frontline services.

David Shek, FBU executive council member for London said, “London is the epicentre of the UK’s building safety crisis and there is no safe way to manage funding cuts of this magnitude. A £25 million cut to London Fire Brigade’s funding is unthinkable and we will fight it to the bitter end.

“We have just marked the third anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire and in the years since have dealt with a number of fires in buildings with similar combustible materials. The dangers of cutting the fire and rescue service right now are blatantly obvious.

“The Mayor has committed to protected frontline emergency services and we will hold him to that. We will not accept any reduction in frontline services – whether that be crewing reductions, shift changes, or a recruitment freeze. Make no mistake – any reduction in fire cover will put lives at risk.”

Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary said, “The scale of these cuts is devastating and is a gross insult to firefighters in London who have gone above and beyond to support their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The public will not support these cuts, and we intend to fight them.

“Sadiq Khan made a commitment to protect vital frontline services and he must do that. The government should support regions facing financial difficulties as a result of COVID-19 but there is no excuse for a Labour Mayor to be passing on Tory cuts to the very emergency services that keep people safe across the capital.

“Boris Johnson did huge damage to the fire and rescue service as London Mayor by pushing through the biggest cuts in history. These cuts impacted the response on the night of the Grenfell Tower fire and the London Fire Brigade has still not fully recovered. To be considering more spending cuts is downright reckless and would show contempt for the public’s safety.

“This pandemic has demonstrated the value of the fire and rescue service and we should actually be talking about new investment to make the service better and safer. The government must step up to provide whatever financial support is necessary or the prime minister’s talk of ending austerity will ring hollow across London. If that support is not forthcoming, the Mayor must pledge to scrap these dangerous cuts.”

www.london-fire.gov.uk/

Campaigners push for London Fire Brigade HQ plan

by Featured News

Campaigners against a £500m plan to redevelop the art deco, former London Fire Brigade headquarters on the Albert Embankment in Central London, have pledged to step up their opposition in the wake of the scheme being called in.
The mixed-use project has been drawn up by architect Pilbrow & Partners for developer U&I and will include two towers of 26 and 24 storeys respectively built behind the 1937 grade II-listed Thames-side building, which was at the heart of the brigade’s firefighting operation during the Blitz.

However, Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary, Robert Jenrick wants a second opinion. The scheme, which was given planning permission by Lambeth Council in December 2019, has been called in because of heritage concerns and the impact of the towers on nearby Lambeth Palace and the Westminster World Heritage Site.
Government heritage adviser, Historic England, raised concerns about the plans while objectors have included the 20th Century Society, the Skyline Campaign while former Vauxhall MP Kate Hoey took to Twitter on Friday praising Jenrick for calling the scheme in.

A spokesperson for the Waterloo Community Development Group said: “It is criminal that these central London sites have been left mostly vacant for 20 years in public ownership, yet all successive mayors [of London] can do is back schemes helicoptered in and completely out-of-scale or context and of little use to London or Londoners.
“Real people living in real social housing will lose up to 40% of their daylight because of safety-deposit boxes posing piled 90m high beside them.”

U&I had hoped construction would start on site next year and be completed in 2025. In a statement, the firm said: “[Jenrick’s] decision means [work] could now be significantly delayed. The plans followed extensive consultation with the local community [and] will positively transform a site that has lain vacant for almost 10 years.”

Other firms working on the scheme include structures and M&E engineer WSP, cost consultant Core 5, project manager Second London Wall and planning consultant Lichfields. A planning inspector’s report is expected to land on Jenrick’s desk this Autumn at the earliest.