Grenfell Tower firefighters and call staff took 6,000 days off due to PTSD

30 September 2023 , 15:46

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Emergency services at the scene near the Grenfell Tower (Image: PA)

Firefighters and call handlers shattered by the Grenfell tragedy have taken more than 6,000 days off due to the psychological damage.

Union bosses say the June 2017 inferno in West London, in which 72 died, left many workers traumatised. Twenty firefighters and three control room staff were diagnosed with PTSD – with 10 workers retired as a result.

Over 250 firefighters tackled the blaze, which started in a faulty fridge and spread to highly flammable cladding on the 24-storey tower in Kensington. Fire Brigades Union general secretary Matt Wrack said: “The tragedy of Grenfell has left many firefighters traumatised. They worked through the night to rescue people from a fire that should never have been allowed to happen.”

Smoke billowing after the fire in June 2017 (PA)

Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act reveal the blaze has cost 5,750 working days due to firefighters suffering PTSD. Another 446 days have been lost from 999 control room staff also suffering from trauma.

Some call handlers had to deal with pleas for help from people told to remain in their flats under a controversial “stay put” policy. Staff who had counselling after the horror included then London Fire Brigade commissioner Dany Cotton. Aalya Moses, 63, who lived on Grenfell’s fourth floor, said: “Firefighters took the brunt. They were the ones to help us when no one else was.

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“I’ve spoken to a couple and what they experienced was unbelievably ­traumatic. They have suffered so much.” Mr Wrack added: “The Grenfell fire was caused by decades of deregulation, privatisation and profit being put before safety.

Firefighters and call handlers took more than 6,000 days off due to the trauma they suffered (Daily Mirror)

“Firefighters stand with the bereaved, survivors and residents yet to see justice. The Government and employers must ensure all who continue to suffer are provided with ongoing support. Firefighters are now working under intense pressure due to cuts. We need urgent investment to safeguard mental health.”

London Fire Brigade said it is committed to preventing another such tragedy and “working hard to transform and improve our ways of working”. We revealed in March that the ­flammable insulation fitted at Grenfell was known to be potentially deadly at least seven years before the disaster.

John Siddle