Former British Army officer Andy Roe will take over as the head of London Fire Brigade (LFB) on 1 January 2020.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has appointed Andy Roe as London’s new Fire Commissioner. The appointment follows ‘a comprehensive international recruitment process’, according to a statement from the Mayor’s office. Andy will replace Dany Cotton, who last week announced she would be stepping down as Commissioner four months early, at the end of December.
‘Andy Roe will be responsible for leading the transformational change needed at LFB and will work closely with the Deputy Mayor for Fire and Resilience, Fiona Twycross, to deliver on the recommendations of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase One report. He will also ensure the Brigade contributes effectively in Phase Two of the Inquiry,’ the statement continued.
Ms Cotton, who was due to retire in April, faced several calls to resign following the Grenfell inquiry, with Grenfell United saying that a change at the top would ‘keep Londoners safe’.
London Safety Plan
Party of Andy Roe’s role will be to head up the production of the next London Safety Plan, which outlines everything the LFB will do to make the capital safe – from attending and tackling fires and being prepared to respond to a terrorist incident to fitting smoke alarms and rescuing someone involved in a road traffic collision.
He brings a wealth of experience dealing with major incidents and having operational command from his time as an officer in the British Army officer, as well as during his time with the LFB, where he has worked since 2002, progressing through the ranks as a firefighter – initially at Clerkenwell and West Hampstead.
He became Assistant Commissioner in January 2017 before stepping up as Deputy Commissioner for Operations in November. He is responsible for LFB’s 103 fire stations and its 5,000 firefighters and staff. He had operational command for the Croydon tram crash in 2016 and took the decision to revoke the ‘stay put’ advice minutes after becoming incident commander at the Grenfell Tower fire.
Enormous privilege
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Keeping Londoners safe is my number-one priority and I’m determined to do everything I can to ensure we have a fire and rescue service that is the best in the world. Andy Roe is a hugely experienced firefighter and I’m really pleased to have appointed him as London’s Fire Commissioner.
“The Grenfell Tower Inquiry report made it clear there were institutional failures that meant, while firefighters performed with great courage and bravery, the overall response to the disaster was not good enough, and there are significant lessons for London Fire Brigade. I look forward to working with Andy Roe to deliver on the Inquiry’s recommendations and to ensure the transformation of the Brigade is carried out as effectively and swiftly as possible.”
Andy Roe, said: “It is an enormous privilege to be offered this opportunity to lead London Fire Brigade into a new decade.
“My priority is to protect and serve all Londoners and make sure the capital’s fire and rescue service is the very best it can be.
“We have some real challenges ahead, but I’ll be working tirelessly with the Brigade, the Mayor and London’s communities to ensure we deliver on the recommendations of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry report. I’m looking forward to leading the Brigade through a period of transformation and delivering a workforce that truly reflects the diverse city we serve.”
Fiona Twycross, London’s Deputy Mayor for Fire and Resilience, said: “I welcome the appointment of Andy Roe as London’s new Fire Commissioner. He is hugely experienced, both as a firefighter and in leading the response to major incidents. There are tough challenges ahead for the Brigade in terms of implementing the recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. Andy is clear on the direction the Brigade needs to take and how to deliver the best service possible in order to keep Londoners safe.
“I’m truly proud of our firefighters and the Brigade and I am confident Andy is the right person to lead them.”
Fire Safety in 2023 eBook
SHP's sister site, IFSEC Insider has released its annual Fire Safety Report for 2023, keeping you up to date with the biggest news and prosecution stories from around the industry.
Chapters include important updates such as the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and an overview of the new British Standard for the digital management of fire safety information.
Plus, explore the growing risks of lithium-ion battery fires and hear from experts in disability evacuation and social housing.