What happens when a building is not as safe as everyone assumed it was?

Hello Smart Firefighting Community!

Welcome to another episode of covering real world innovations via interviews with fire service and technology industry experts that empower YOU to develop your very own Smart Firefighting strategy.

Recorded live at the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) 2025 Conference alongside the AFAC, WAFA, and Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience Conference in Perth, Australia.

Former London Fire Brigade Deputy Commissioner Richard Mills joins the show to share what changed after Grenfell and what still needs to change now.

Richard walks through the hard reality of high rise fires, including the human impact on residents, firefighters, control operators, and command staff. He explains how operational learning turned into real policy shifts, including improved procedures, better training, stronger connections between the fire ground and control, and the push for respiratory protection tools like breathing apparatus telemetry and public fire escape hoods.

This conversation is a clear reminder that fire safety cannot be treated as an afterthought. From design to maintenance to operations, every role matters, and the cost of getting it wrong lands on the public and the crews who respond. Richard also shares what gives him hope, and why his personal rule for life and leadership is simple: keep moving.

So take a listen to hear what he has to share.

Episode 304: When Fire Engineering Fails, Firefighters Pay the Price with Richard Mills