Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service and the South Western Branch of the Institution of Fire Engineers are hosting a one day conference today [28 Mar] to discuss the impact and legacy of the "worst UK hotel fire in 40 years".

It is almost exactly a year since Yorkshire company O&C Holdsworth Ltd admitted charges of failing to meet fire safety standards following a fire that killed three people at the Penhallow Hotel in Newquay in 2007.

The company's owners were ordered to pay nearly a £140,000 in damages for failing have working fire detectors and alarms in place, which contributed to the blaze reaching 30 feet high at its peak where more than 100 firefighters were needed to get it under control.

Today's event will bring together local and national key speakers to give an insight into the key challenges relating to the fire and subsequent investigations, with sessions including:
- ACFO Steve Brown (CFRS): Operational Response
- AM Mike Roach (CFRS): The History of Penhallow Hotel
- Martin Shipp (IFE): Fire Safety Enforcement
- John Hughes: a personal message from a relative who lost two members of his family in the Penhallow fire

Click here for more information and find out about the conference as it happens by contacting @cornwallcouncil on Twitter.

Posted 28/03/2012 by richard.hook@pavpub.com