LFB review control room communications policy
Grenfell Tower Inquiry · Grenfell Tower Inquiry: Phase 1 Report · Issued 30 October 2019 · Addressed to: London Fire Brigade
Source — verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry recommendation, 33.14a
The London Fire Brigade review its policies on communications between the control room and the incident commander.
Grenfell Tower Inquiry, Grenfell Tower Inquiry: Phase 1 Report · 30 Oct 2019 Source PDF →
Published evidence summary
Publicly available evidence relating to this recommendation:
- LFB Commissioner stated in March 2024 that LFB had completed every recommendation directed to it (LFB Statement, March 2024).
- The government's Phase 1 progress report stated this recommendation is complete, with revised Policy Number 790 (Fire Survival Guidance) published on 31 March 2021 covering control room to incident commander communications (Quarterly Thematic Update, MHCLG, February 2025).
- HMICFRS Round 3 inspection published November 2024 rated LFB "outstanding" for major and multi-agency incident response (HMICFRS London Fire Brigade Inspection Report, November 2024).
Response — verbatim from government
●London Fire Brigade — initial response
The London Fire Brigade accepted all Phase 1 recommendations directed to it, stating: "We accept the recommendations in both the Phase 1 Grenfell Report and HMICFRS inspection report." LFB published a Transformation Delivery Plan setting out how it would implement the recommendations, including revised fire survival guidance, new equipment procurement, and mandatory training programmes.
London Fire Brigade · 21 Jan 2020 Written response →
●UK Government — follow-up
The government accepted in principle all the Phase 1 recommendations directed at central government. The Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick presented the formal response to Parliament on 21 January 2020, committing to swift and decisive action including new duties on building owners and managers to provide information to fire and rescue services, install premises information boxes, conduct regular inspections of lifts and fire doors, and equip buildings with evacuation signal facilities. The government stated it had already taken action in advance of the report and was actively looking beyond the remit of these recommendations.
UK Government · 21 Jan 2020 Written response →
Evidence trail — what's actually happened since
- 26 Feb 2025 The LFB has reported that this recommendation has been completed. The revised Policy Number 790 (Fire Survival Guidance) was published on 31 March 2021 providing enhancements to the gathering, recording and transfer of FSG information between the incident ground and Control. Source →
- 13 Mar 2024 · London Fire Brigade LFB Commissioner Andy Roe announced LFB is "the only organisation to have completed every recommendation directed specifically to them." Key achievements: revised FSG policy, new MSA breathing apparatus with voice comms, 64m turntable ladders, fire escape hoods saving 200+ lives. Source →
- 21 Jan 2020 · London Fire Brigade We accept the recommendations in both the Phase 1 Grenfell Report and HMICFRS inspection report. Source →
- 1 Nov 2024 · HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services LFB rated "outstanding" for responding to major and multi-agency incidents. Significant improvements since January 2022 inspection. Understanding of risk improved. View source → Good Progress
Each entry above links to a primary source — gov.uk written statement, consultation response document, or inspection report. The Index does not characterise government intent; it tracks what has been published.
How this page is built
Source and Response are verbatim from primary documents. The Evidence trail records published activity since — written statements, consultation outcomes, inspection findings, parliamentary references. The Index does not paraphrase or characterise intent; it tracks what has been published. Where the evidence is the absence of action (a missed deadline, a slipped timetable), that absence is documented from primary sources rather than inferred.
This recommendation's data is verified periodically against primary sources. The Index is monitored for staleness weekly.