It was in the early hours of 14 June 2017 when firefighter David Badillo entered Grenfell Tower.
David and his colleagues were called to respond to a kitchen fire in a flat on the fourth floor of a tower block in west London.
By 4:30 a.m. the entire building was alight.
Seventy-two people died in the disaster.
It was one of the UK’s worst tragedies in recent history.
The Grenfell Tower fire killed 72 people Credit: PA
The Grenfell Tower fire was one of the worst disasters to happen in the UK in recent history Credit: Getty
On the sixth anniversary of the disaster, The News Movement spoke with David about that fatal night and his life after the fire.
The firefighter described his frustration towards the government over its failure to introduce all recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.
In particular, David criticised the government for its decision not to introduce emergency evacuation plans for residents with disabilities living in tower blocks.
Around 41% of Grenfell Tower’s disabled or vulnerable residents died in the fire in 2017.
He said: “They promised, they pledged to implement all recommendations from the Grenfell Inquiry and, to be honest, they lied.”
Firefighter David Badillo spoke to The News Movement on the sixth anniversary of the Grenfell Tower tragedy
David Badillo at a silent march held to remember the 72 victims of the Grenfell Tower fire
David, a firefighter with North Kensington Fire Station, has been a member of the Grenfell community for more than 30 years.
His connection to the local community grew stronger after the disaster in 2017.
He said: “The first two years were the most difficult. I went through treatment for PTSD, I had a lot of time off work where I kept breaking down.
“I got through that [with] the help of family and friends and through getting to know my beautiful community and I became friends with a lot of the survivors and bereaved from Grenfell Tower.”
One of David’s friends, Manfred Ruiz, lost his 12-year-old niece Jessica Urbano Ramirez in the fire.
David and Manfred met as teenagers working at the Kensington Leisure Centre, located next to Grenfell Tower.
On the night of the fire, David attempted to find Jessica in the tower but could not reach her.
Two years ago, David and Manfred ran the London Marathon together to raise money for the local community.
David said: “I’ve thrown everything into fighting for justice and helping to heal the community. My life seems to be all about that now.”
Jessica Urbano Ramirez, 12, was one of the 72 people that died in the Grenfell Tower fire
Firefighter David Badillo (left) with Manfred Ruiz Credit: David Badillo
David is one of many members of the community who were outraged by the government’s decision not to introduce one of the main recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.
In 2019, it was recommended to the government to introduce personalised emergency evacuation plans (PEEPs) for people with disabilities living in tower blocks.
This would mean the owner and manager of every high-rise residential building would be required by law to give residents with disabilities or reduced mobility a plan on how to evacuate their building in an emergency.
Last year, the government announced it would not introduce PEEPs as it claimed it was not safe, practical or proportionate.
David said: “Surely it’s a human right for all people to feel safe in their home, to have an equal chance of surviving a fire and PEEPs are an essential part of that."
He said: "Always at the back of my mind when I'm at work, there's always this feeling of: 'Please don’t be a high-rise building.’
“Not only because I was at Grenfell but because there’s still a decent chance, a good chance, it’s covered in flammable materials and there’s a good chance there’s only one staircase for everyone to get out and there’s still no PEEPs in place."
He added: “We need to push for real change, we need to push for buildings to be built with safety in mind, and get away from value engineering and profit margins. We need to build residential high-rises that are safe to be lived in.”
The Grenfell Tower in west London
The News Movement contacted the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC).
A spokesperson for the department said: “Our thoughts are with the bereaved families, survivors and residents as they remember those who lost their lives in the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
“It is absolutely unacceptable for anyone to have to live in an unsafe building and residents’ safety and wellbeing should always be the utmost priority. Building owners and developers must act quickly to fix any dangerous defects so residents can finally get on with their lives.
"We have been clear that those responsible must pay to end the crisis. All developers who have signed the developer remediation contract now have a legal duty to get on with remediation. We are monitoring their progress very closely to ensure this work is completed urgently and safely, and, if it is not, we will act accordingly.”
The DLUHC said they are committed to delivering proposals that enhance the safety of residents whose ability to self-evacuate in an emergency may be compromised.
The public consultation on Emergency Evacuation Information Sharing Plus sought views on the scope of evacuation plans and the department are currently analysing the responses.
You can watch our full interview with David Badillo on YouTube here.
Our YouTube documentary on the disabled residents who lived in Grenfell Tower can be viewed here.