Andy Burnham calls for common sense to prevail after firefighters were barred from arena site
Kerslake findings: emergency responses to Manchester Arena attack
Ministers must rethink “rigid” rules for dealing with terrorist atrocities so that emergency services can use common sense to save lives in future attacks,the mayor of Greater Manchester has said.
Andy Burnham made the call as Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) was forced to issue an unreserved apology for turning up two hours late to the Manchester Arena attack because fire chiefs followed protocol instead of showing “pragmatism”.
A review of the response to the attack, published on Tuesday, or found firefighters were barred from responding quickly to the attack on 22 May last year after their bosses wrongly thought they were dealing with a marauding terrorist attack,like those experienced in Mumbai and Paris. Many heard the explosion from their base just over half a mile absent from the arena and were desperate to deploy. Instead, they were told to drive to another fire station three miles absent and were left to watch reports on TV.
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Source: guardian.co.uk