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P1-26

Equipment for BA communication in high-rise buildings

Grenfell Tower Inquiry · Grenfell Tower Inquiry: Phase 1 Report · Issued 30 October 2019 · Addressed to: London Fire Brigade

Government responseUK Government: Accepted (Jan 2020)

DeliveryHome Office says completed (Feb 2025)

Recommendation, verbatim from the inquiry

●Inquiry recommendation, 33.21a

The LFB urgently take steps to obtain equipment that enables firefighters wearing helmets and breathing apparatus to communicate with the bridgehead effectively, including when operating in high-rise buildings.

Grenfell Tower Inquiry, Grenfell Tower Inquiry: Phase 1 Report · 30 Oct 2019 Source PDF →

Published evidence summary

AI-generated evidence summary

In February 2025, the Home Office reported that the recommendation was complete, stating that the London Fire Brigade launched new breathing apparatus sets on 11 March 2024 featuring integrated mask communications and higher power radios to improve contact between wearers and the bridgehead (Home Office, Feb 2025). The department had previously reported in February 2024 that the rollout had been delayed from January 2024 to resolve equipment quality assurance issues with the supplier and allow additional time for training (Home Office, Feb 2024).

Sources

Home Office, Feb 2025
Home Office, Feb 2024

AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 26 Sep 2026.

Government response

●UK Government · Accepted · 21 Jan 2020

Words of: HM Government, Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 Report: Government response (CP 1248), presented to Parliament by the Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, 26 February 2025

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.

Response document: Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 Report: Government response

Delivery

●Home Office says completed · 26 Feb 2025

Status: complete

LFB launched the new MSA Breathing Apparatus (BA) Sets at 10am on the 11th March 2024.  The transition was completed whilst successfully maintaining operational response standards and without impacting the service provided to communities of London.

The new equipment provides for improved communications across the incident ground, between BA wearers and the bridgehead.  This is because the BA facemask has integrated voice communications built in, enhancing clarity of speech.  This is coupled with the new fireground radios that have a greater power output and range, whilst still being intrinsically safe for use in flammable atmospheres.

The combined BA and Radio sets are in use upon average between 20-100 times per day.  Firefighters are supported by a network of ‘Super Users’ who are able to provide peer technical support.  Trade Unions have been directly involved in the design, implementation and communication of the additional support networks.

From: Progress against the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 recommendations, February 2025

Site note: This is the Home Office's thematic update on progress against the Phase 1 recommendations. Its introduction says it includes updates from the relevant government departments and assurances received from the National Fire Chiefs Council, London Fire Brigade and other emergency services on their progress. The status line and the passage are the Home Office's compilation of what those bodies reported to it; where the passage gives a status for fire and rescue services and a separate one for London Fire Brigade, both are shown as printed.

Earlier statements on delivery (0)

●Home Office · 16 Sep 2024

Status: Complete

LFB launched the new MSA Breathing Apparatus (BA) Sets at 10am on the 11th March 2024.  The transition was completed whilst successfully maintaining operational response standards and without impacting the service provided to communities of London.

The new equipment provides for improved communications across the incident ground, between BA wearers and the bridgehead.  This is because the BA facemask has integrated voice communications built in, enhancing clarity of speech.  This is coupled with the new fireground radios that have a greater power output and range, whilst still being intrinsically safe for use in flammable atmospheres.

The combined BA and Radio sets are in use upon average between 20-100 times per day.  Firefighters are supported by a network of ‘Super Users’ who are able to provide peer technical support.  Trade Unions have been directly involved in the design, implementation and communication of the additional support networks.

From: Progress against the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 recommendations, September 2024

Site note: This is the Home Office's thematic update on progress against the Phase 1 recommendations. Its introduction says it includes updates from the relevant government departments and assurances received from the National Fire Chiefs Council, London Fire Brigade and other emergency services on their progress. The status line and the passage are the Home Office's compilation of what those bodies reported to it; where the passage gives a status for fire and rescue services and a separate one for London Fire Brigade, both are shown as printed.

●Home Office · 5 Feb 2024

Status: In progress

The LFB has reported that this recommendation is in progress.

The LFB is working on four workstreams to improve radio communications between the breathing apparatus crews and the bridgehead, including when operating in high rise buildings. These four are: the Radio Replacement Workstream, Radio Repeaters Replacement Workstream, Training Workstream and Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) Replacement Workstream.

The previously forecasted completion date was January 2024. However, in addition to delays in equipment delivery, a number of quality assurance issues have arisen at a late stage within the Breathing Apparatus equipment stocks which the supplier has accepted full responsibility for. Whilst the supplier has moved quickly to rectify these issues, as a consequence of the issues experienced over the course of delivery of the equipment, some frontline operational staff have voiced concerns about confidence in this risk critical equipment. This has also been raised formally by the London Region of the Fire Brigades Union. LFB is continuing to work through the identified quality assurance issues to ensure that all components are replaced under warranty by the supplier in accordance with contractual arrangements.

As a consequence, the London Fire Commissioner has taken a decision to roll back the “Go live” date, to ensure that Firefighter safety is not compromised, to allow additional time for the consolidation of training, and to increase the confidence of Firefighters. The rolled back Go Live date will be on or before 24th March 2024. This situation will be kept under review.

From: Progress against the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 recommendations, February 2024

Site note: This is the Home Office's thematic update on progress against the Phase 1 recommendations. Its introduction says it includes updates from the relevant government departments and assurances received from the National Fire Chiefs Council, London Fire Brigade and other emergency services on their progress. The status line and the passage are the Home Office's compilation of what those bodies reported to it; where the passage gives a status for fire and rescue services and a separate one for London Fire Brigade, both are shown as printed.

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