Grenfell should’ve not been a reality check...

Residents stood at their windows watching flames approach their apartments, others woken up by the sound of sirens, passing through a smoke filled hallway and that was just the tip of the horror show. Panicked screams immersed the building as many fearful residents observed what used to be turn into a haunted memory of the past as they watched the treacherous fire engulf their homes. What will be known for many years to come as Britain’s worst fire tragedy, a deadly orange light that forced its residents to decide between, waiting for help or try and escape without knowing if the conjured escape plan will leave them dead or alive? The burnt carcass of the Grenfell Tower block in West London has now become a symbol of government failure; the tragedy claimed at least 80 people dead, leaving many survivors and community members’ angry and demanding a cause of action. Britain has now entered into a very sensitive discussion of fire safety, as many of her inhabitants are living in concern. Pressure on the British government and local councils is above its boiling point; many members of the public have been left wondering what position they’re placed in when it comes to their safety, is the local government willing to put their safety first over cost. A question comes to mind, is enough being done to avoid such a chilling tragedy from occurring again? Issues of safeguarding tenants are now at the forefront; prompting calls for reassurance about the safety of tower blocks across the country, including the Dudley Borough. Dudley Council claims valid fire risk assessments are in place for all high rise flats and they are reviewed regularly. Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are fitted in all individual flats, while inspections of blocks are carried out by council staff. In regards to the building genotype, the council have said no high rise block has cladding or external wall insulation, and tenants must be aware that fire risk should be considered when buying products such as paint or decorative items. Paul Griffiths, Dudley Council’s Head of Housing Development, said: “Tower blocks do not have a sheet cladding system but they have been checked and rated O, which is perfect in regards to stopping the spread of flames. Where we have installed external insulation to new homes the cladding we have used is not the same as the block in London, the vast majority have a rendered finish that’s different cladding to Grenfell which was not rated flammable Class O, which helps stop the spread of flames.” Despite assurances from the local government, high rise flat tenants still voice their unease over where they live in the wake of the London Fire. Kirsty Wood, 21 lives in Brierley Hill Mill street high rise tower. She said: “I think everyone round here is a bit scared, considering what happened in London. I’m worried that they might be not enough set for us if a fire in my flat or above was to start. “I read in the paper the other day about the council not wanting to put sprinklers in flats like ours, which I don’t get why they won’t, whether they put sprinklers or not this is an old building and I don’t think it is as fire proof as it can be, I think more could be done.” Dudley Council has also been working alongside West Midlands Fire & Rescue Service and they have made it their duty to urge all flat tenants to be well informed on what to do in the event of a fire and be aware of the evacuation procedures that apply in their buildings. A fire broke out early September this year in Wolverhampton and it is said, the use of water sprinklers prevented the fire spreading through the high-rise student block. The building sprinkler system was activated and it prevented a fire which could have easily caused a considerable damage compared to the small amount which did occur. In the event of a fire starting sprinklers are the most effective way to ensure that fires are suppressed or even extinguished before firefighters arrive. The West Midlands Fire Service released a statement stating sprinklers save lives and reduce injuries. In the last 12 months, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) and the National Fire Sprinkler Network (NFSN) have worked together to investigate the effectiveness and reliability of sprinkler systems. 99% of the tested incidents, sprinklers have been able to extinguish or contain the fire. Numerous social housing flats do not have full sprinkler system installed across Britain, with only 1 in 50 tower blocks currently having a full system in place. Safety experts say that sprinklers can be fitted at low cost and are durable enough to last for years without having to be replaced. The Dudley Council Borough is still in debates about the benefits of Sprinklers before adding them to the budget. Councillor Les Jones recently spoke out on the matter: “We must not be forced into a knee-jerk reaction of spending millions on things that are not necessarily helpful.” Thousands of high rise towers in the UK do not have sprinklers installed, Grenfell Tower included, and they are various reasons behind this such as regulations in England mean that only buildings constructed since 2007 and taller than 30m are required to have sprinklers fitted. It is not requirement to fit sprinklers in existing buildings, local councils may have reservations to fit them in to old buildings. It would cost the council £1m to install sprinklers in three tower blocks alone. Fire sprinkler systems are not designed to control or extinguish exterior fires however it has been shown that they can play a major role in providing fire safety during disastrous events. In both the Monte Carlo casino hotel fire in Las Vegas, 2008 and the Sulafa Dubai residential high-rise fire in Dubai in 2017, sprinklers systems were activated and they helped to prevent the exterior fires from entering the building, and no fire deaths took place. Many members of the public have voiced hope that the tragedy that occurred at the London tower block will be a lesson to those in higher powers to action change. “Something like that should’ve not happened in the first place, I just hope the council have learnt something from it. “Where we live it’s an old building god forbid anything like that happens to me or my family, sprinklers are something that should be there and peoples safety should always come first they need to stop putting budget over actual human life, ridiculous when you think about it.”: said Jane Hadley, resident at Brierley Hill tower block.