Andrew Dudley Roe KFSM (born July 1974[1]) is a former British Army officer and firefighter currently serving as the Commissioner of the London Fire Brigade.[2]

Early life and education

Andy Roe grew up in London and graduated from Newcastle University in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts in English literature.[citation needed]

Career

In 1997, Roe was commissioned from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and joined the 12th Regiment Royal Artillery as a second lieutenant.[3] During his time as an officer, he served as a troop commander and a battery captain and served two tours in Northern Ireland.[4] During his time in Northern Ireland, he was wounded when a pipe bomb was thrown at him, which also severely injured an RUC officer stood next to Roe.[5] The officer died after spending four weeks on a life support machine. As a captain, he transferred his commission to the Army reserve in April 2000.[6]

In 2002, Roe joined the London Fire Brigade as a firefighter[7] and in January 2017 was appointed as Assistant Commissioner.[8]

During the Grenfell Tower fire, Roe was appointed incident commander where he revoked the controversial 'stay put' advice to the residents.[9] As the first commissioner appointed since the fire, Roe issued a plea to the residents of London's 7,000 high rise blocks to set aside any 'post-Grenfell doubts continue to follow firefighters’ advice in the event of a blaze.'[10]

On 28 January 2020, Roe became the first LFB commissioner to sign the Armed Forces Covenant with the British Armed Forces.[11]

Roe was awarded the King's Fire Service Medal (KFSM) in the 2024 New Year Honours.[12]

Awards and honours


Ribbon Description Notes
King's Fire Service Medal (KFSM)
General Service Medal (1962)
  • For Service in Northern Ireland
Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal
  • 2012
  • UK Version of this Medal
Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal
  • 2022
  • UK Version of this Medal
King Charles III Coronation Medal
  • 2023
  • UK Version of this Medal
Fire and Rescue Service Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
  • 2022

See also

References

  1. ^ "Andrew Dudley ROE - Personal Appointments". Companies House. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  2. ^ "New fire chief appointed after Grenfell row". BBC News. 10 December 2019.
  3. ^ "No. 54769". The London Gazette (Supplement). 20 May 1997. p. 5901.
  4. ^ "Andy Roe, Commissioner". www.london-fire.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 22 August 2013. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  5. ^ Mendick, Robert (28 November 2021). "I can't promise another Grenfell won't happen again". The Sunday Telegraph. No. 3, 154. p. 14. ISSN 9976-1874.
  6. ^ "No. 55823". The London Gazette (Supplement). 18 April 2000. p. 4372.
  7. ^ "Grenfell fire officer who ordered evacuation named new LFB chief". Inside Housing.
  8. ^ at 2:28pm, 11 December 2019. "Former Army Officer Becomes New London Fire Chief". Forces Network.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ "Andy Roe: Grenfell firefighter who revoked 'stay put' policy is new London Fire Brigade boss". Sky News.
  10. ^ "New London fire chief's first job: to say sorry over Grenfell". Evening Standard. 5 March 2020.
  11. ^ "FSM MAGAZINE - LFB fire commissioner signs covenant with UK Armed Forces". www.fsmatters.com.
  12. ^ "Supplement 64269". The London Gazette. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
Fire appointments
Preceded by Commissioner of London Fire Brigade
2020 – present
Incumbent
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