OWNERS and managers of high-rise buildings are being urged to introduce new fire-safety measures in the wake of the Grenfell disaster.
The Jersey Fire and Rescue Service wants to collate details about various aspects of tower blocks of at least five storeys – including the construction material and location of water access points and fire escapes – to ensure crews arrive at the scene with potentially life-saving information.
The scheme is being rolled out following recommendations from the inquiry into the 2017 Grenfell disaster, which claimed the lives of 72 people.
To create the new database, fire officers will visit the premises to gather the information, and both the firefighters and managing agencies will complete a fire-risk questionnaire.
Once each section has been completed, the information will be combined into one document to be used in the event of a blaze.
As well as being logged digitally for fire crews to access en-route to an incident, managing agents and landlords are being asked to provide a secure information box in each building, where physical copies of the block’s details can be stored.
It is hoped this will provide the incident commander with vital intelligence in the early stages of an emergency. While there is currently no legal requirement in Jersey for managing agents and owners to make such plans or install an information box on-site, the fire service hopes they will take part in the scheme to help avoid a disaster similar to Grenfell.
Station commander Ryan Hall, fire safety protection lead for the Jersey Fire and Rescue Service, said: “It is really important that we follow and adopt the recommendations following the tragic Grenfell Tower incident.
“With an increasing built environment, premises information is going to be critical for the safety of our crews and the residents.
“Having this information en-route, and when we initially arrive, will give commanders important knowledge of the building’s characteristics and enable them to make informed decisions to aid in a more rapid response when dealing with incidents in tall buildings.”
Michael Ruane, property and asset management lead for Andium Homes, said that the company had worked closely with Jersey Fire and Rescue following the Grenfell disaster and had already installed new sprinklers, fire doors and information boxes in its high-rise building.
He added: “We are grateful to have been part of the fire service’s consultation and engagement in the delivery of the recommendations from the Grenfell Inquiry.”
