LIFE-SAVING fire escape hoods which were brought in after the Grenfell Tower public inquiry are now being used by Dorset firefighters.

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS) has rolled out new fire escape hoods, which help to protect the wearer from toxic fire-related gases, vapours and particles for at least 15 minutes, across the service.

They are used when people need to be evacuated from or through a smoke-filled location when other exits, such as a ladder or smoke free staircase are not available or viable.

The first supplies of the hoods were delivered to Dorset fire stations last month and all fire engines within DWFRS will carry hoods by the end of April. A training package has been made available for firefighters.

Chief fire officer Ben Ansell said: "The provision of fire escape hoods was a recommendation within the Phase One report of the Grenfell Tower public inquiry and we worked with other fire and rescue services within the south west to agree a common approach.

"Although prompted by the Grenfell Tower fire, these hoods are not limited to use in high-rise buildings; they are suitable for any situation where a member of the public has to be moved to safety through a smoke-filled area.

"Fifteen minutes of protection against toxic smoke can make the difference between life and death. We would always prefer an escape route away from smoke, but that isn't always possible.

"At a recent fire in Bournemouth, we brought 11 people to safety from a three-storey block of flats. Nine of those people were evacuated using a ladder, but two wore our new fire escape hoods and were led safely through the building."

The hoods were tested by Dorset firefighters during four high-rise exercises held in November and December. This allowed the training materials and user guidance to be based on real-life usage.

The hoods were brought in as a result of an inquiry ordered by the government into the Grenfell Tower fire, which killed 72 people and destroyed Grenfell Tower on June 14, 2017 - the deadliest structural fire in the UK since 1988, and the worst residential fire in the UK since the Second World War.