Firefighters who responded to the devastating Grenfell Tower fire in 2017 are set to receive compensation from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council.
As reported by The Standard, councillors agreed to the out-of-court settlement for a group of 114 firefighters and four additional defendants, “including those who were involved in the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower”.
While the specific details of the settlement remain confidential and are yet to be finalised, it forms part of a wider group of civil claims (around 1,100) that were “lodged for loss of life, personal injury, and other losses caused by the fire”. The group of 114 firefighters make up the largest portion of claims brought by emergency responders (which also includes the police).
In a council report, titled ‘Settlement of Emergency Responders – Firefighter Claims’, Chief Executive Maxine Holdsworth confirmed that the council was participating in an “alternative dispute resolution (ADR) process” to negotiate an agreement:
“The Council understands the sensitivities within the community regarding the role of the fire service and its Fire Fighters on the night of the fire. As part of the alternative dispute resolution process, the Council has worked with other defendants to ensure that valid claims are resolved and compensated, in a way that mitigates the financial impact on the public purse.
“The Council could have chosen not to participate in a pro-active claims engagement process, ultimately requiring HM Courts to rule upon the matter. However, this would have resulted in lengthy and costly litigation processes which could be mitigated through a negotiated settlement for valid claims.
“It is therefore recommended that the Council enter into the global settlement arrangement. The claimants’ lawyers have supported a global settlement and the advice from the Council's external legal advisers supports the overall sum and the Council's contribution to it. Not entering into the agreement would be likely to lead to considerable further legal costs if the claims were determined in the courts.”
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) and the London Fire Brigade (LFB) have previously been vocal about the impact that the tragic events of 14 June, where 72 people died, had on fire crews. FBU stated that the incident “traumatised” many firefighters who “worked through the night to rescue people from a fire that should never have been allowed to happen”. LFB also revealed that many of its staff “required counselling support” after the incident.
National Officer for the FBU, Mark Rowe said: "We are able to confirm that our members have provisionally agreed a settlement for their injuries, and will be saying more shortly in agreement with all parties."
As previously reported by the FPA, in April 2023, a group of 900 bereaved family members, survivors, and local residents (BSRs), representing 22 parties, were awarded over £150 million in a civil claims payout.
This latest settlement will see the council take a decision on an “urgent basis to ensure that the settlement agreement can be finalised within the next three weeks”, with Holdsworth adding that “although this paper uses the legal term ‘defendants’ ,the Council has always been clear that it is not trying to, and would not, defend the decisions made and actions taken that led to the tragedy. As with the Grenfell Tower Public Inquiry the Council is open, transparent, and proactive when it comes to highlighting the mistakes the Council made.”
You can access the council report here.