London Fire Commissioner, Andy Roe, has outlined his ambitions for the next 12 months through his New Year message.
Following the success of the London Fire Brigade’s #ChargeSafe campaign, which sought to raise awareness of the risks of fires involving e-bike and e-scooter batteries, Roe announced that the campaign would continue into the new year. This will be accompanied by further pushes for changes to the regulations surrounding protection for residents of London and will see collaboration with the Home Office, Electrical Safety First and the Office for Product Safety and Standards.
This campaign was launched after the death of 21-year-old Sofia Duarte, who died in an e-bike battery fire, with the success of the campaign being evidenced by the fact that there has been a 1/3 increase in the number of Londoners who are aware of the risk of such incidents.
Improvement is also a key goal for the commissioner in 2024, with changes taking place inside and outside the organisation throughout the year. One change that will be completed this year will be to implement the final remaining recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, with the aim being to ensure that nothing like the Grenfell Tower tragedy happens again. Another tragedy inquiry that is informing significant change within the fire brigade is the inquiry following the Manchester Arena attack in 2017.
Examples of the improvements that will be brought in this year include:
- New integrated radios and breathing apparatus for firefighters
- New command units to provide incident commanders with improved incident management information.
- Ambitious training programmes
- Innovative protective equipment
Touching on the continuation of improvements throughout the fire brigade within his message, Roe said:
“Many of these developments will roll into 2024, particularly our work to improve our workplace culture. Last year we rolled out new training for managers and leaders, and launched our new values: service, integrity, teamwork, equity, courage, and learning…
“London Fire Brigade has been evolving and improving to better support the communities we serve. 2024 will be no different. As London Fire Commissioner, I’m dedicated to continuing this journey with energy and passion so that we can be trusted to serve and protect our capital.”
Image credit: iStock
