A SERIES of key safety improvements have been brought in to try to stop a repeat of the Shirley Towers fire tragedy that killed two firefighters, an inquest heard.

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS) said lessons have, and will continue to be learnt from the deaths of Alan Bannon and Jim Shears.

Now the service, along with the Fire Brigades Union, is calling for a change in the law to force the introduction of sprinklers and fireproof cable clips into tower blocks in a bid to reduce the risks to residents and firefighters in a blaze.

Hampshire’s Assistant Chief Officer Bob Ratcliffe told Southampton Coroners’ Court breathing apparatus kits for Hampshire crews have already been modified to make it harder for falling cables to get tangled in them, as happened during the Shirley Towers fire on April 6, 2010.

Firefighters who use breathing apparatus to enter burning properties are also now issued with insulated wire cutters and have been trained to use thermal imaging cameras to search for fallen cables.

Mr Ratcliffe said staff had also been retrained to ensure they seek permission before ever going up or down stairs, or opening windows within a fire area.

There has also been retraining for staff on the information that should be gathered and the importance of passing that on to commanders.

Mr Ratcliffe said: “There’s a realisation everyone who responded to that incident on that night did what they felt was the best possible action for the best reasons on the night.

“We will learn from this incident and have made a number of changes.”

But he added that the service wants to see legal requirements introduced to improve safety of tall buildings.

Mr Ratcliffe said: “Had sprinklers been fitted, that would likely have extinguished or controlled the fire in the lounge, which reduces the risk for firefighters and the risk for the public as a whole.”

The inquest has heard Mr Bannon, 38, from Bitterne, and Mr Shears, 35, from Poole, died after being overcome by excessive heat.

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