Recommendation P1-18: Develop stay put to evacuation transition policies
From Grenfell Tower Inquiry: Phase 1 Report, published 30 October 2019.
Recommendation
Policies be developed for managing a transition from 'stay put' to 'get out'.
In brief (written by this site)
In February 2025, the Home Office reported that action on the recommendation was complete across all fire and rescue services, citing a National Fire Chiefs Council survey confirming that every service in England had completed the necessary steps (Home Office, Feb 2025). The department also recorded that the London Fire Brigade had completed the recommendation, having published revised fire survival guidance and new evacuation and rescue policies in March 2021 and trained all operational and control staff (Home Office, Feb 2025).
Sources
AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 26 Sep 2026. The record below is the sources' own words.
Government response
The government accepted in principle all the Phase 1 recommendations directed at central government. The Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick presented the formal response to Parliament on 21 January 2020, committing to swift and decisive action including new duties on building owners and managers to provide information to fire and rescue services, install premises information boxes, conduct regular inspections of lifts and fire doors, and equip buildings with evacuation signal facilities. The government stated it had already taken action in advance of the report and was actively looking beyond the remit of these recommendations.
Delivery
Home Office says completed (26 February 2025)
Status for fire and rescue services: complete
The National Fire Chiefs Council surveyed all fire and rescue services (with the exception of the LFB) in England about their progress against recommendation 33.15e. All services have completed the necessary action.
Status for London Fire Brigade: complete
The LFB has reported that recommendation 33.15e has been completed.
The guidance for managing the transition from ‘stay put’ to ‘get out’ is provided in the revised Policy Number 790 (Fire Survival Guidance) and the new Evacuation and Rescue policies, both of which were published in March 2021. All operational and Control staff have completed mandatory training on both policies.
From: Progress against the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 recommendations, February 2025
Site note: This is the Home Office's thematic update on progress against the Phase 1 recommendations. Its introduction says it includes updates from the relevant government departments and assurances received from the National Fire Chiefs Council, London Fire Brigade and other emergency services on their progress. The status line and the passage are the Home Office's compilation of what those bodies reported to it; where the passage gives a status for fire and rescue services and a separate one for London Fire Brigade, both are shown as printed.
Earlier statements on delivery (2)
Home Office (16 September 2024)
Status for fire and rescue services: Complete
The National Fire Chiefs Council surveyed all fire and rescue services (with the exception of the LFB) in England about their progress against recommendation 33.15e. All services have completed the necessary action.
Status for London Fire Brigade
The LFB has reported that recommendation 33.15e has been completed.
The guidance for managing the transition from ‘stay put’ to ‘get out’ is provided in the revised Policy Number 790 (Fire Survival Guidance) and the new Evacuation and Rescue policies, both of which were published in March 2021. All operational and Control staff have completed mandatory training on both policies.
From: Progress against the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 recommendations, September 2024
Site note: This is the Home Office's thematic update on progress against the Phase 1 recommendations. Its introduction says it includes updates from the relevant government departments and assurances received from the National Fire Chiefs Council, London Fire Brigade and other emergency services on their progress. The status line and the passage are the Home Office's compilation of what those bodies reported to it; where the passage gives a status for fire and rescue services and a separate one for London Fire Brigade, both are shown as printed.
Home Office (5 February 2024)
Status for fire and rescue services: In progress
In October 2023, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) surveyed all fire and rescue services (with the exception of the LFB) in England about their progress against recommendation 33.15e:
95% of services (41 services) have reported that they had completed this recommendation including training and assessing staff. This represents a 2% increase from the previous NFCC survey completed in October 2023.
5% of services (two services) have not made the necessary changes to action this recommendation.
Services will continue to update their policies as research being carried out by Government and revised National Operational Guidance become available.
Status for London Fire Brigade: Complete
The LFB has reported that recommendation 33.15e has been completed.
The guidance for managing the transition from ‘stay put’ to ‘get out’ is provided in the revised Policy Number 790 (Fire Survival Guidance) and the new Evacuation and Rescue policies, both of which were published in March 2021. All operational and Control staff have completed mandatory training on both policies.
From: Progress against the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 recommendations, February 2024
Site note: This is the Home Office's thematic update on progress against the Phase 1 recommendations. Its introduction says it includes updates from the relevant government departments and assurances received from the National Fire Chiefs Council, London Fire Brigade and other emergency services on their progress. The status line and the passage are the Home Office's compilation of what those bodies reported to it; where the passage gives a status for fire and rescue services and a separate one for London Fire Brigade, both are shown as printed.
Responsible bodies
Who has spoken
- UK Government
Response - Home Office
Delivery statement