Page 1 of 13 WITNESS STATEMENT - Grenfell Tower Inquiry · WITNESS STATEMENT Criminal Procedure Rules, r27.2; Criminal Justice Act 1967, s.9; Magistrates' Courts Act 1980, s.5b Statement

OFFICIAL Statement of: SANDERS, NICKY Form MG11(T)

Page 1 of 13

WITNESS STATEMENT

Criminal Procedure Rules, r27.2; Criminal Justice Act 1967, s.9; Magistrates' Courts Act 1980, s.5b

Statement of: SANDERS, NICKY

Age if under 18: Over 18 (if over 18 insert 'over 18') Occupation: FIRE OFFICER

This statement (consisting of 11 page( s) each signed by me) is true to the best of my knowledge and belief and I make it knowing that, if it is tendered in evidence, I shall be liable to prosecution if I have wilfully stated in it anything which I know to be false, or do not believe to be true.

Signature: NICKY SANDERS Date: 16/01/2018

Tick if witness evidence is visually recorded D (supply witness details on rear)

This statement refers to my attendance at the Grenfell Tower Fire on Wednesday 14th June 2017. Whilst

making this statement to police I have referred to notes that I made at Paddington Fire Station

immediately following leaving the fire. I produce these notes as exhibit NSA/0 1.

I am Nicky SANDERS a firefighter on red watch at Wembley Fire Station. I have been a firefighter for

fifteen years and a half years (15 1/2). Five (5) of those years were spent at Euston Fire Station and the

rest here at Wembley Fire Station. As well as being a firefighter, I am a Fire Rescue Unit (FRU) specialist

which means we carry specialist equipment to assist us in rescuing animals, swift water rescue (dealing

with floods as we are water trained and carry a boat on the truck) and using Extended Duration Breathing

Apparatus (EDBA). I have been trained in this for twelve (12) years. I used to attend an annual refresher

training but that stopped a couple ofyears ago. The last time I completed the EDBA training was ten (10)

years ago. Standard BA training is every year. EDBA means you use two (2) air cylinders rather than the

standard one (1) cylinder. We have (2) cylinders with an approximate working duration of forty five (45)

minutes in total, depending on the conditions, which helps us to go longer and further into incidents that

SDBA (standard duration Breathing Apparatus) couldn't reach. You are able to be on air for a longer

period of time so you can reach a casualty that may be at an extended distance. We do our compartment

fire training at Park Royal and train for the use of our day to day apparatus every year. EDBA training

differs to normal BA training as we used to train in deep underground stations, it was very long arduous

BA wears, but now we just go specifically into compartment fires; going in and putting the fire out, same

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Nicky SANDERS

OFFICIAL

Signature witnessed by:

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OFFICIAL Statement of: SANDERS, NICKY Form MGll(T)

Page 2 of 13 as normal BA wear.

We receive regular lectures on new procedures, videos and power points. This will be addressed to us by

an officer on our watch daily. We do our Breathing Apparatus (BA) drills at Wembley Fire Station along

with Road Traffic Accident (RTA) training which entails cutting up cars. We use our tower in the middle

of the yard for pitching ladders, its 8 floors high, made of concrete with internal stairs. Each floor has

window seals that we can pitch too. We wear our full personal protective equipment (PPE) during these

drills. We train pretty much every day.

I have not been to a high rise fire before in my career, it has mostly been house or flat fires on the first

(1st) second (2nd) or third (3rd) floor Apart from our training at station we also had a back to basic

training session approximately two (2) years ago with a group made up of crews from different stations

ran by a senior officer which was a simulated exercise on a high rise building. We wore our full PPE and

BA, but not started up and practiced plugging into the dry riser and getting all then equipment required

for the bridgehead two (2) floors below the simulated fire. Annually we attend a real fire training course

at Park Royal, which is more realistic as we have cribs burning wood in the compartments and practice

gas cooling and firefighting techniques in the compartments. Our training for compartment fires is generic

and it doesn't mail er whether it's on the first (1st) or the twenty-fourth (24th) floor the technique is the

same. I don't remember any training on how to deal with the fire if the compartment containment fails

We do regular visits to high rise blocks in Wembley. We get a list given to us every year with places to

visit. We check the layout, fire lifts, condition of the building, the location of the dry or wet risers and

their equipment but it's hard to remember the information about every building we visit. I have never

visited Grenfell tower nor do I have any previous knowledge of the tower before the 14th June 2017.

Since the incident at Grenfell Tower we have been given a new big bag, it's a high rise pack which is

easier to carry and contains better equipment, things like a carrying strap, a better branch, labels for doors

to show that they have been checked, covers for hoses so u know what hose is what as we have different

types of hoses and a tool kit. The stickers are good as we had no way to tell before if somewhere had been

searched already. We have been taught how to use this since the incident at Grenfell Tower and been

given lectures and videos on it. Prior to Grenfell we had lectures every now and again on high rise blocks

and a list of stuff on the fire engine door reminding us what we have to take to the bridge head.

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Nicky SANDERS

OFFICIAL


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On Tuesday 13th June 2017, red watch were working the night shift and I started work at 20:00 hours at

Wembley Fire Station as normal. The first hour was spent checking the equipment, making sure there is

petrol in the generator and waiting for the call. As a FRU unit we do get called upon regularly in

Wembley, it's a busy borough and we attend a lot ofRTA's. I then went to the female dorm to sleep and

was woken up about 01:30am. The bright lights come on and a funky tune plays along with "MOBILISE

MOBILISE" with the number truck required. I know the aerial ladder plafform and pump command unit

left earlier on for a call but I wasn't aware it was for Grenfell Tower. The rescue unit didn't have any

shouts before this.

The driver went to the watch room and collected the call slip from the duty officer. We also get a map as

FRU units go everywhere across London and we don't always know the areas tasked to. We were told it

was a forty (40) pump fire and FRU ten (10) and that it was a high rise fire but no other information. I

said "WOW, NEVER KNOWN ANYTHING LIKE IT", it was out of the ordinary but big incidents don't

always mean FRU do a lot. The FRU is normally an emergency crew so we were relaxed on the truck just

thinking about what our job would be at the incident.

It took about ninety (90) seconds from being mobilised to getting out the station, no longer than normal.

We have our kit on the truck already, because we are a FRU unit we find out what the job is before we rig

(put on tunic, boots, jacket) this is because the job could be anywhere across London and might take a

while to travel there in all our kit. In a normal truck the BA kit is behind you but in ours it's kept in a

separate compartment so we just get it when we get there. We normally sit around and wait at most jobs

as we are only there for when a firefighter gets in to difficulty, we are an emergency crew.

I was riding golf306 FRU. In my truck I travelled with three (3) other firefighters from red watch; Crew

Manager (CM) Paul CHARITY, Fire fighter (FF) Paul HARRIS who was sat in the back with me and

Fire fighter (FF) Les TUCKER who drove. We travelled to the job down the WEST WAY, A40 and we

could see the fire from there. This is when I realised it was something massive. I don't know where

about's we were, it's a long way off our ground, I don't know London that well and I was sat in the back

but I know we travelled down the WEST WAY and could see all sides of the tower alight from the top -

down. I remember saying "WOW" and a lot of expletives were said. I have a photo and video I took on

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Nicky SANDERS

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Page 4 of 13 my mobile of the tower from sat in the truck, the time I took this photo and video was 02:30 I also have

three (3) other images of the tower at different stages throughout the night up until the morning.

03:08 shows the tower alight and many colleagues on the ground walking around.

05:55 shows the tower smoking and colleague at the bottom of the photo.

09:0 1 shows top of the tower burnt out.

I exhibit these as NSA/03

We experienced difficulties once we exited the WEST WAY down the little roads, they were all closed

and we were going down roads and not being able to get anywhere. Eventually found a way to get to our

ronde-vu point which was BRAMLEY ROAD which is where we were told to park. It was chaos. We

were really delayed on BRAMLEY ROAD it was packed with police cars, fire brigade and ambulances. I

had a good view of the tower from here, I could see it was fully alight by this time, not from the ground

floor, from about the second (2) third (3rd) floor up to the top and could see black smoke but couldn't any

debris falling from here we were too far away, about a ten (10) minute walk. We parked right on the

corner where it says 40 on the map junction of SILCHESTER ROAD I have marked the map and exhibit

it as NSA/02. We were about a ten (10) minute walk away but had a clear view of the tower. There were

lots of fire engines around but I don't remember seeing any police officers or police cordons in the road

so I don't know if we were parked inside or outside of a cordon.

CM CHARITY went to check in with the command unit who told us to wait while they found out what

they wanted us to do. It's not always clear what the role of a FRU will be. CHARITY handed in our

nominal role board so we know who is on scene. He took our names and went off and come back within

minutes and told us to take our EDBA, first aid kit, spare cylinders to the breathing apparatus point and

wait for instructions, it was by a big building I don't know if it was a sports centre or academy. We carry

the same standard first aid kits that all appliances carry but we don't carry water or hoses just the

specialist equipment like animal slings, jacks for trains, boat and EDBA's. We walked down

SILCHESTER ROAD towards the academy which I have marked on the map.

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Nicky SANDERS

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We carried our gear over and were told to rest up. Seconds later ten (10) EDBA officers were called

forward from another station and Paul HARRIS went with them. I could hear and see debris falling, it

was really noisy; banging and crashing of burning plastic, aluminium and bits of concrete which were on

fire. I couldn't hear anything else above machines pumping water to aerials. We were about one hundred

(100) meters away from the tower I think and there were about fifty (50) or more fire fighters with a lot of

different skills. I could see paramedics brining people out in body bags and lining them up. Trucks were

arriving with more cylinders, BA kits and more first aid kits. I could also see fire fighters waiting to

commit to the building this must have been around about 02:30 hours in the morning. I waited another

five to ten (5-10) minutes and another ten (10) officers were asked to go over, the officer in charge said to

make your way over to Grenfell Tower and commit to go inside and pointed to us to walk straight ahead

and said we would come across officer waiting to pull us in. I don't know who he was but he was in

charge of the ronde-vu point, I was so disorientated. So I went over with Paul CHARITY and Les

TUCKER When we walked down the side ofbuilding I could see loads of hoses and police with riot

shields. When we got to the meeting point an officer said we needed to grab a riot shield and run to get in

the tower. I could see it wasn't the main entrance, it was and entrance on the side of the tower.

We ended up facing the main entrance but had to go round the side to get in to the tower which I have

marked on the map. I think it had been created through the night as the original main one became blocked

by all the debris. I could see aerial ladder platforms putting water on it from where we were waiting. We

were told to wait under a covering and there was one officer in charge sticking his head out above parapet

to find a clear path looking up for crews to run. He would pick a spot when not much debris was falling

and tell officers to run. There were piles of hose and maybe six ( 6) fire fighters waiting and a pile of riot

shields. I saw everyone else picking up a police riot shield from the pile, it was common sense to do so,

so I did too. I have never used or been trained in using one of these before.

The officer said to get in pairs and run towards the entrance, which wasn't the main entrance. Paul

CHARITY went with a crew in front of us and went first. Me and Les TUCKER paired up. The crew in

front ofFF TUCKER and I had a CM in it and approximately six (6) of us were to run together.

I held the shield above my head and FF TUCKER went behind me, I held the shield with the handle so

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Nicky SANDERS

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Page 6 of 13 the longer part of the shield protruded behind me and covered FF Tucker. We got up close to the crew in

front who were also doing the same with the shield. We were shin deep in water at this point and the

officer in charge who was checking up at the sky from beneath the cover we were waiting under then

shouted "GO" so all six (6) of us in our pairs ran forward towards the entrance. We went as quickly as we

could without tripping up. Water was deep and difficult to run over, debris of metal and concrete on the

floor also made it difficult to move quickly. The debris is terrifying, knowing you've got to run and it's

falling on you.

We walked as fast as we could over the debris and got about five ( 5) steps forward and there was a

massive crash, we were all knocked back and fell to the floor, the officer who was in front of us, was hit

on the shield by a body with such force it knocked us all backwards, the officer who was hit by the body

was dazed and in shock.

We were told to go back and wait, so we scrambled back under cover keeping hold of the shield with our

EDBA sets on debris was still falling everywhere. We got under cover and where told to wait which felt

like forever but was probably about ten (10) minutes. When I looked back at the area officers had moved

the body and covered it in tarpaulin in a garage I don't know who. I can't remember what the body looked

like, I know it was a male but I don't know how old, I think he was a black male. His leg had been ripped

off from the hip and was it was floating in the water, he had hit a flat roof on the way down, I think he

jumped from the tower.

I was in shock, we were all terrified of going again but the longer you wait the worse it got. We were all

chatting trying to keep our mind off it until we got called up to try again which felt like forever maybe

five or ten (5-10) minutes. FF Tucker, CM Charity, FF Hall from another station and myselfwaited and

we were told to back off so our boots weren't wet from all the water so we waited on a ledge under the

canopy to the main entrance. I could see the main entrance but not the side entrance we had to go to. I

don't know how far away it was, maybe ten (10) meters, it's difficult to estimate because we couldn't see

the entrance we were just told to run that way and someone would haul us in. I didn't know where we

were running to or how far it was; it was awful. The hauling officer couldn't see us coming either so we

were running blind.

We were called up again by the officer in white hat. Russel HALL went off with another group with other

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Page 7 of 13 two fire fighters. Les TUCKER was behind me again. The officer said "GO" again when it looked clear

of falling debris. The debris was bits of concrete, chunks of metal, it was scary when it hit the shield you

could really feel the force of it. We attempted to run again across the debris and water logged floor, I

heard a bang crash and the shield buckled something hit it and rolled down the shield and I heard Les

TUCKER screaming. This was after about ten (10) paces. TUCKER broke cover and kept screaming I

didn't know what happened. I tried to catch up with him to cover him with the shield as he ran for cover

at the entrance we were heading to. When I caught up with him at the tower he was still screaming and

other officers were trying to get his hood away from the back of his neck as a piece of molten metal had

slid down the shield and gone down the back of his neck giving him severe metal burns.

I was so pleased to get into the tower I can't even remember what it looked like. I just remember seeing

people and went in. TUCKER was in front of me were helping him get his hood away from his neck.

TUCKER went into a first aid room which was a little room in front of us to get a gel pack for his neck

and I waited in the foyer. The foyer was located on the ground floor, it was smoky but visibility was

good, you could just feel the smoke in your eyes, it made them stream but you could breathe without your

BA on.

We then went up to entry control as they asked for a crew of three (3) so me, Les TUCKER and Paul

CHARITY went. Les TUCKER joined as he didn't want to go to hospital, he wanted to stay and help. We

got a short brief from entry control. They basically told us "GO ABOVE AND BEYOND, GO UP AND

DO WHAT YOU CAN" we were told to go to floor eleven (11) flats eighty one and eighty four (81-84)

as there had been a fire safety guidance (FSG) call and floor twelve (12) flats ninety three, ninety four and

ninety five (93,94,95) to check for people.

Hoses where being brought in and couldn't get through because one of the doors in the foyer shut and no

one had an access code so it was locked, it was right at the bottom of the stairs leading to entry control.

The fire fighters who brought in the hose smashed the glass door then it went smokier.

Officers called for a crew to go in so FF in front went up which had FF Russel HALL in. They asked for

another crew of three (3) so me TUKER and CHARITY headed to entry control.

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Page 8 of 13 There were two (2) officers on entry control, one sorting crews and one briefing and collecting tally's

from BA sets which say who's in the building, name and amount of air. The BA board communicates

with our sets and sends a signal down.

Before we went up we were also briefed on a bariatric patient that was deceased and trapped on the

stairwell I think between floor nine and 10 (9 1 0), she was very over weight and crews had tried to move

her but physically couldn't and that we were to just leave her and not attempt to move her. We were also

told about another deceased person on the stairwell but I can't remember what floor or a description.

We headed up to the eleventh (11th) floor first. The stair well was small and crews were trying to go up

and down at the same time so it was very tight as we passed each other. I saw a female being brought

down by FF I didn't know. Vision was ok until we reached the eighth (8th) floor, then it became heavily

smoke logged. Our gage has a light so we can see it in pitch black but everything was done by feel. I also

seen a dead dog on the stairs and a body curled round stairs I don't know what floor, i seen them on the

way up and way down. I couldn't see if it was male or female as it was smoke logged but it wasn't

moving, i believe it was the body we were briefed about before we went up. I also remember seeing a

little blue blanket with yellow flowers on that's all I could see on stairwell. Only blockage on stairs was

the bariatric lady between floors nine (9) and ten (10), she was face down with her arms out stretched and

face pointing towards the bottom of stairs in the middle of a flight of stairs. We had to climb over her to

save other people.

The three (3) of us reached the eleventh (11th) floor and there was already another crew there. We

worked together and opened the communal door to the floor and the heat was crazy, we tried to go into

the first flat but the heat just beat us back. We had no water or equipment to battle the fire. We got into

the corridor a bit and opened the door to the flat. The first door we came to was on the right hand side as

we had gone into the corridor on a right hand wall search. A right hand wall search means your shoulder

and back of hand on the wall always keeping to right hand side. The heat was too much. The crew in front

went in first on their knees, the five ( 5) of us opened the flat door and the heat was unbearable there was

no way anyone could get in, we tried a couple of times.

We left the crew we met on the stairwell of floor eleven (11), I think there was two or three (2 3) of them

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Page 9 of 13 in that crew and me TUCKER and CHARITY decided to go up and complete our task on floor twelve

(12).

I found a thermal imaging camera between floor eleven and twelve (11-12) and took it to help us search

the flats on floor twelve (12).

Myself and CHARITY opened the communal door on floor twelve (12) that was being held open by a

enforcer that's used to smash open doors. It was hot but not as intense as floor eleven (11).

We approached the first flat to the right and we went on our knees because of the heat, I don't know what

number it was, I did feel the door and couldn't feel any numbers and the visibility wasn't good. Me and

CHARITY opened the door and it was just glowing red, it looked like the concrete floor had gone, it was

not safe without water, it felt like we were going to fall forward. We were knelt down because it was very

hot, I couldn't see anything, it was so smoke logged so we shut the door and went onto the next flat. We

managed to search flat ninety four, ninety five and ninety six (94, 95 and 96) by feeling around.

I know we definitely searched flat ninety four, ninety five and ninety six (94,95 and 96) because I could

feel the numbers on the doors. We did a thorough search on our knees, searched under beds and

everywhere in the flats, the heat was not as bad as the eleventh (11th) floor. We managed to check all

flooring by crawling. I'm pretty confident no one was on the twelfth (12th) floor. I was able to use the

thermal imaging camera to check too.

In the first flat that we could search, flat ninety four (94) the windows where open so air was getting in

clearing the smoke a bit could, we could find our way around better even though it was still heavily

smoke logged.

TUCKER heard the communal door close so dropped back and knelt by door and held it open for us- he

knew if it shut we would never find way out. We were not briefed or given maps on the layout of the

floors so we just agreed on a right hand wall search assuming we would come back on ourselves in a left

hand wall search but we must have done a loop as I could see what I thought was a room with torches and

thought, we don't need to search that one if people are already in it, I didn't realise we had done a full

circle, then a hand grabbed me and pulled us out, what I thought was a flat was actually the communal

stair well and TUCKER seen us and grabbed us out, I knew it was him because of the voice "BE

CAREFUL OF THE STAIRS" If TUCKER didn't stay there and pull us out I don't know what would

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Page 10 of 13 have happened we might have just been going round in circles. All flats were clear and no one was on the

12th floor. The conditions were all the same in all the flats we searched, there was fire in all flats but not

so bad on the twelfth floor (1ih) as it was on the eleventh (11th) we could get in each room and the fire

didn't stop us from searching. We spent about fifteen to twenty (15-20) minutes searching floor twelve

(12). No force was used to gain entry in to any flats. We were able to stand up in the communal area of

floor twelve (12) but where on our knees inside the flats.

We went back down to search floor eleven (11) as we knew fire survival guidance (FSG) calls where

coming out of that floor, meaning there was someone there to be rescued. The same crew as before where

still there and we all decided to try gain entry again as we were aware of the FSG call. We could not get

in, the heat was too extreme, we tried a few times to get in but couldn't. I tried to radio down for hose and

water but radios were not working. It sounded like morse code, we have hand held radios on our tunics

and one BA in the crew has a bone MIC on their BA Tried to request water but nothing seemed to be

working didn't hear any messages at all just beeping. This was in the stairwell of the eleventh (11th)

floor. I opened the communal door to floor eleven ( 11) and put the thermal imaging camera inside, it read

the heat at one thousand degree's (1000). I couldn't see anyone or any flames in communal parts, it was

really thick black smoke and visibility was zero (0).

We had completed our brief and although we were all ok we couldn't get into floor eleven (11) and we

had searched twelve (12). That was our brief and we shouldn't really go off doing other things, just do

what we are told to do. So we decided to go back down. On the way down I gave the thermal imaging

camera to another crew. It was still really smoke logged and the body on stair well wasn't easy to get past

because stairs are narrow. I don't remember ifthe other crew came back down with us, I only remember

our crew ofthree (3). It took about ten (10) minutes to get down and out. We were in the tower for about

forty ( 40) minutes.

Went back down to entry control took our air off and got our tally back. I told the officer at entry control

that we couldn't get into floor eleven (11) but we had searched twelve (12) and I was happy that no one

was on the twelfth (12th) it was the same officer that sent us up that I spoke to. There was a lot of water in

the lobby pouring down the stairs like a river. I guess it was from the aerials pointing water in. As we

were coming up and down the stairs the water was in the stair well flowing but didn't impact movement

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Page 11 of 13 up the stairs. Visibility was still good in the lobby and he put what we had searched on the wall. We made

our way out, back through the entrance we came in, again we formed up in crews of two (2). I don't know

who was behind me it might have been TUCKER again, I don't know, I just said "ARE YOU READY"

and we picked up the riot shield and ran back out. There was an officer situated where we were to run to,

directing us to run when it was possibly clear of falling debris. Once we were clear we headed over to a

rest area where crews had been commit to take air off, get water and rest. I was there for about half an

hour. We took our sets off, jackets off and everyone was sat against a wall. Debris was still falling and

was hitting the shield as we ran, you can hear it bang as it dropped on you. We walked quick because

there was debris, metal and water everywhere it was about twenty meters (20m) to clear the building as

there was no cover to get to, you had to just keep going until you were clear. I didn't turn back and look.

There was loads ofFF sat around and places to put your gear, everyone was resting until they felt like

they could service their sets to go back again. I was roasting from being in there, you could feel the heat

outside but nothing like being in there I was exhausted. I could see the tower above a wall. When we went

in tower it was dark and when we came out it was light, the sun was coming up and the tower didn't look

as bad alight like when we went in just more smoky and not so much flames.

An officer shouted that more EDBA wearers were needed. TUCKER had gone to hospital because of his

burns and CHARITY had gone somewhere else it, so i was on my own. I picked my gear up and walked

back over, i used the toilet in the big building and then trucks had started arriving with loads of fresh

cylinders. I changed them over but then the guys who were dishing out the cylinders said they needed to

collect our BA covers, these are covers that cover the cylinders because there were fresh wearers arriving

from over stations and they were going to send them in, so they needed those covers to make up there sets

so they took our covers away from us which meant we couldn't go back into the building so we were

done. They needed the covers because you can't wear sets without the covers to protect the cylinders. The

covers are made of duraskin, a plastic thing that velcro' s round the cylinders and has a strap that goes

over the top to stop you getting tangled in falling cables. FF have been caught in electrical cables and got

stuck in the past, they fall down in fires because the cables melt and get caught between your back and

cylinder so the strap that goes across the top will help stop you from getting tangled in cables. CHARITY

and I serviced our set. FF walking around tasked to collect the cylinder covers. New FF were taking over

our sets but I kept mine because it's specially made for my little face so i made sure I put it on the truck.

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Page 12 of 13 We never normally get asked to give up our set's but because our trucks where already at the incident

they had nothing when brought in to take over. CHARITY joined me back at the truck.

CHARITY got our nominal role board back from the command unit which means we had been released.

A nominal role board is a little metal board we keep on the truck with all our names on, then when we get

to a job we hand it to the command unit so they know that Wembley's rescue unit has these people on it,

it get put in little wallets so they know exactly all the FF who are at incident and when you take it they

know that trucks gone.

Myself and CHARITY waited around and got bottles of water that people were bringing, we waited to get

the crew back together to go back to the truck. I could still see the tower from where i was waiting, it had

burnt itself out in places and the same appliances, arielladder platform was spraying water. I then went to

a church to go the toilet, there was a bit of wondering around at this point.

A distressed man came up to men CHARITY and said "ARE YOU STILL TRYING TO GET PEOPLE

OUT THE BUILDING" I replied "OF COURSE WE ARE" he said he had family on twenty third (23rd)

floor and had we been up there, could we get to them and why are we leaving. I told him we were still

working very hard to get people out but that's all the information we could give him. That was the hardest

bit. That's when me and CHARITY started to break down. He was desperate for the brigade to try get

people out and we had to reassure him that we are doing everything they could to get people out, he was

eastern European about late thirties (30's). I don't know what road we were on, I remember getting lost

and that's when we bumped into him, we didn't give him any details just told him we were doing our

best. An annoying Italian reporter kept asking us questions but we just told him we were doing our best.

We found our way back to the truck, we were waiting there and school children were trying to get to

school but it was cordoned off The children were asking questions and I just told them we are still going

in the building and doing our best to get people out. I think road works had closed the road near

BRAMLEY ROAD so you couldn't get down. There were loads of school children walking in the road

and they were worried they couldn't get in because they had exams or something. HARRIS met back up

with us and CHARITY drove the three (3) ofus to PADDINGTON.

I think we left around half ten (10:30) as we had been told to go to PADDINGTON fire station for

compulsory counselling and to write statements. We met TUCKER at PADDINGTON, it took forever to

Signature: 2018

Nicky SANDERS

OFFICIAL


MET00010067 _0012


Page 13 of 13 get there because of road works, probably about an hour to get there. We had counselling and wrote the

notes. We were at PADDINGTON for about four (4) hours, they brought donuts and chocolate. It took

forever, we left about half two (2) and got to WEMBLEY about half three (3) finished duty and back on

at eight (8pm).

I am aware ofthe stay put policy. Stay put policy is the advice given because in general high rise fire's

it's because of fire protection fire breaks its normally contained to the compartment it might spread a little

but the advice is to stay put because otherwise it fills up the stair cases smoke inhalation the fire can be

dealt with and they can be rescued but obviously this was very different. It was such a different incident

the way the fire spread so rapidly. I noticed there were no sprinklers in the entire building that was odd.

Didn't really see anything else I don't know if there were fire alarms in the flats but I didn't hear any. The

doors that divided the stair well to the flats were self closing but the doors to the flats were not self

closing. If anything could have helped maybe the new bag we got given post Grenfell, that could have

helped with marking what had already been searched.

I thought I wasn't going to come out of that building, the debris and riot shields, not having a water

supply, I thought I was going to die with the heat and thought the building might collapse when I was in

there.

Signature: 2018

Nicky SANDERS

OFFICIAL


MET00010067 _0013

Documents

Page 1 of 13 WITNESS STATEMENT - Grenfell Tower Inquiry · WITNESS STATEMENT Criminal Procedure Rules, r27.2; Criminal Justice Act 1967, s.9; Magistrates' Courts Act 1980, s.5b Statement