Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service firefighters will soon be able to use smoke curtains to stop the spread of smoke to an escape route and help them rescue people from fires, particularly in high-rise buildings.

The curtains, which are designed to hold back smoke while people escape, will be introduced on Sunday 1 August once the Service has completed the necessary training.  Smoke curtains would be particularly useful in high-rise buildings due to the potentially complex nature of these rescues.

The Government has given NFRS nearly £100,750 to buy smoke curtains and other equipment designed specifically for tackling fires in high-rise buildings, following the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 report.  Smoke hoods, which were introduced earlier this year, were successfully used for the first time in a Radford fire last month to rescue a woman uninjured.

Group Manager Chris Emmott said: “The smoke hoods have already proved their worth and we expect smoke curtains will be just as useful.  This equipment could save many lives in future.  Purchasing special equipment to tackle fires in high-rise buildings is just one of many ways we are meeting the recommendations of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 report.”

More information about the Service’s response to the Inquiry can be found in a report to the meeting of the Nottinghamshire and City of Nottingham Fire and Rescue Authority today (Friday 23 July).  The report can be found on Nottingham City Council’s website.