Andy Roe

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

For the British general, see Andrew Roe.

Commissioner
Andy Roe
Commissioner of the London Fire Brigade
Assumed office
January 2020
Preceded byDany Cotton
Personal details
BornJuly 1974 (age 49)
Alma materNewcastle University (BA)
ProfessionMilitary officer and firefighter
Military service
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Branch/serviceBritish Army
Years of service1996–2000
RankCaptain
Unit12th Regiment Royal Artillery

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 7000 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]

Awards and honours

RibbonDescriptionNotes
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
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.
  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.
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