Andy Roe
Andy Roe | |
|---|---|
Commissioner Roe being questioned by the London Assembly in 2022 | |
| Commissioner of the London Fire Brigade | |
| Assumed office January 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Dany Cotton |
| Succeeded by | Jonathan Smith |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 1974 (age 50–51) |
| Alma mater | Newcastle University (BA) |
| Profession | Military officer and firefighter |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch/service | British Army |
| Years of service | 1996–2000 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | 12th Regiment Royal Artillery |
Andrew Dudley Roe KFSM (born July 1974[1]) is a former British Army officer and former 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.
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]
Roe's reign as Commissioner of London Fire Brigade ended on 30 June 2025 when he retired after over 20 years of service in the capital. Following his departure from LFB, he was appointed as non-executive chairman of a new shadow board at the building safety regulator.
Awards and honours
| Ribbon | Description | Notes |
| King's Fire Service Medal (KFSM) | ||
| General Service Medal (1962) |
| |
| Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal |
| |
| Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal |
| |
| King Charles III Coronation Medal |
| |
| Fire and Rescue Service Long Service and Good Conduct Medal |
|
See also
- London Fire Brigade
- Chief Fire Officer
- London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority
- Chief Fire Officers Association
References
- ^ "Andrew Dudley ROE - Personal Appointments". Companies House. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ^ "New fire chief appointed after Grenfell row". BBC News. 10 December 2019.
- ^ "No. 54769". The London Gazette (Supplement). 20 May 1997. p. 5901.
- ^ "Andy Roe, Commissioner". www.london-fire.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 22 August 2013. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "No. 55823". The London Gazette (Supplement). 18 April 2000. p. 4372.
- ^ "Grenfell fire officer who ordered evacuation named new LFB chief". Inside Housing.
- ^ 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) - ^ "Andy Roe: Grenfell firefighter who revoked 'stay put' policy is new London Fire Brigade boss". Sky News.
- ^ "New London fire chief's first job: to say sorry over Grenfell". Evening Standard. 5 March 2020.
- ^ "FSM MAGAZINE - LFB fire commissioner signs covenant with UK Armed Forces". www.fsmatters.com.
- ^ "Supplement 64269". The London Gazette. Retrieved 29 December 2023.