David Poxon

FPA’s first Building a safer future seminar of 2020 attracted over 150 delegates to London to hear the latest updates from the public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire. The expert speakers discussed competency, governmental and regulatory changes ahead, third party certification (TPC), dilemmas for the fire and rescue service (FRS) and toxicity. FPA’s managing director Jonathan O’Neill opened by ‘tracking the progress’ of the government’s recent announcements, which he had been ‘sceptical’ about prior, but reflected ‘how wrong could I have been’; the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) having ‘clearly been very busy in recent months’. The day included talks from: Chandru Dissanayeke, MHCLG; Douglas Barnett, BAFE; Allan Hurdle, Smoke Control Association; Dennis Davis, Fire Sector Federation; Howard Passey, FPA; Mark Hardingham, National Fire Chiefs Council; David Poxon, FPA; and Dr Jim Glockling, FPA. FPA will be hosting another Building a safer future seminar on Thursday 28 May 2020 at the Cavendish Centre, London.