We are community people, stronger and far more capable together than apart. The pack uses the strengths of its individuals to its best interests and shelters less capable more vulnerable members.
Within this context we often sub consciously subscribe to the pack’s ability to make the best safety decisions on our behalf. In small packs, or families, when the head of that group decides that some activity is safe to do, we go along with it. If parents decide to rent a holiday home with a swimming pool it is unlikely that anybody will point out the statistics and associated risk that 25 British people a year die in holiday pool accidents, with nearly 500 serious incidents or near drownings.
So it was, sadly and with extreme brutality, seen within Grenfell Tower. The fire on 14 June 2017 claimed 72 lives, 70 in the blaze and two subsequently.
The recently published Phase 1 Report on the Inquiry has highlighted how under-informed Fire officers gave poor direction on the control of the fire; the evacuation of the tower; and that they lacked information which they should have held.
The clear “stay put” advice given by the emergency services to residents of the Tower was flawed and probably contributed to the loss of life in the blaze.
It is absolutely understandable why we listen to such direction. Our reliance or dependence upon the experts to make the best decisions on our behalf creates an unconscious bias of trust, in our personal thinking and decision making.
Grenfell Tower is the horrific example of failings in our authority figures. Fortunately the vast majority of people will never be confronted by anything approaching that, but we must still learn.
All of us are responsible for our own safety. We should listen to our authority figures because their advice is mostly right, and generally going against them can cause more harm. We must, however, be ready to question it and make our own judgement calls.
Remember when you employ Street Safe Thinking, you are ultimately responsible for your own safety.
