Chief fire officers have expressed their shock and dismay that three fire safety managers are to be charged with gross negligence manslaughter arising from the fatal fire in 2007 at a vegetable packing warehouse in Atherstone-on-Stour.
Four firefighters – Ian Reid, John Averis, Ashley Stephens and Darren Yates-Badley – died while tackling the blaze at the sight.
The three Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service managers facing the charges are Paul Simmons, Adrian Ashley and Timothy Woodward. Warwickshire County Council will also face a charge of failing to ensure the health and safety at work of its employees, under section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
Commenting on the news, Graeme Smith, chief fire officer of Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service said:
"I am shocked and saddened to hear that three of our firefighters have been charged with gross negligence manslaughter. The announcement made today will not only impact upon the service here in Warwickshire, but it could potentially have significant ramifications on a national scale.
"Like everyone else, we have only just heard the announcement and we will have to wait for details of the allegations before we can properly consider the implications of what has been a complex three year investigation. The investigation has placed obvious strains on individuals and their families and this announcement will place further pressures on our firefighters.
"Our thoughts are also with the families and friends of those who lost their loved ones.”
The Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA) also said it was shocked and disappointed by the decision. "This is now a matter for the courts to determine and as such it is inappropriate to comment on the particular case,” said CFOA president, Peter Holland.
“However, CFOA will be looking very carefully at the evidence that will be provided in court and will consider the wider implications this may have for the profession once the outcome is known. The public and business owners rightly need to be secure in the knowledge that their fire and rescue Services can provide an appropriate response to their needs."
"Firefighter safety is clearly of paramount importance to us and we are of course keen to learn lessons from the incident, added Mr Holland. “Unfortunately, the protracted nature of this investigation has meant that we are still awaiting outcomes over 3 years later."
The defendants will appear at Leamington Spa magistrates’ court on 1 April.
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