London Fire Brigade needs improving, says watchdog

Firefighters were commended for their work last week

London Fire Brigade (LFB) requires improvement by every measure it is assessed on, a watchdog has found.

Some responders remain untrained for terrorist incidents, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) said.

Values and behaviours are not shown by all LFB staff and it has been slow to provide station facilities for women.

The response to last week's widespread fires was praised "but beneath the surface deeper-seated problems remain".

Matt Parr, inspector of HMICFRS, said: "Overall, the brigade leadership have demonstrated a clear intent to addressing the problems identified during our previous inspection [in 2019].

"However, we are yet to see any clear indication that this has translated into the improvements required."

LFB response times - six minutes and 24 seconds on average in the year to 31 March 2021 - were the second fastest in the country.

However, the report said nearly half of its callouts were to false alarms and not enough was being done to reduce unnecessary callouts.

"The brigade has made little progress in addressing the following area for improvement identified in 2019," the report says.

The 11 areas which require improvement include understanding and preventing fires and other risks, making best use of resources and ensuring fairness and promoting diversity.

Getting the right people with the right skills, which was previously judged inadequate, still requires improvement.

LFB had just three engines left during the peak of last week's heatwave response

LFB has identified and carried out audits at all 8,517 high-rise buildings in London, which is significantly more than any other fire and rescue service in England, the report's author notes.

Of the 29 recommendations from Phase 1 of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, LFB has implemented 26 out of 29 actions, up from four in February 2021.

'More to do'

Mr Parr added that there had been good progress in some areas.

He said: "For example, in 2018 we were very worried about training for staff in risk‑critical skills, such as incident command and emergency fire engine driving. The LFB has turned this round, and it is no longer a cause of concern.

"I am assured that the brigade is committed to improving and will continue to monitor its progress closely."

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LFB commissioner Andy Roe admitted that "we have a lot more to do".

He said: "We are at the start of a long journey and fundamental change in large, complex organisations takes time.

"The extreme events of last week demonstrated just how capable our firefighters are - even in the most challenging circumstances their priority is always to protect the people of London. The brigade needs to honour their courage and dedicated service by improving the organisation for the better.

"I'd like to reassure residents that we are a different brigade from two years ago and while significant changes have been made, neither my staff nor I will stop looking for ways we can improve our service to you."

A spokesperson for the mayor of London said: "The mayor welcomes the findings of the new HMICFRS report and is satisfied that the brigade and commissioner recognise the scale of the task at hand, are open to change and committed to delivering the improvements needed."

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