Naman Shrestha
Netflix’s ‘Grenfell: Uncovered’ is a documentary movie that chronicles the horrific 2017 Grenfell Tower fire that took the lives of 72 residents living in the building at the time. It also explores how certain technical decisions regarding the material of the building by officials and several companies could have prevented the fire. Several survivors and experts feature in the documentary, including David Badillo, one of the firefighters who was on duty and tried to save as many lives as possible. Revisiting the traumatic night, he talked about his experience and the aftermath.
David Badillo Braved Through the Flames in the Grenfell Tower to Save Lives
Dreaming of becoming a firefighter since he was five, David Badillo worked towards turning it into reality. In his teenage years, he became a lifeguard at Kensington Leisure Center, where he built a friendship with Manfred “Manny” Ruiz. Eventually, he bagged a job at the North Kensington Fire Station as a firefighter. In his free time, David used to box frequently at a club attached to the Grenfell building. Nearly two decades into his career, he faced his toughest night on the job on June 14, 2017, when the 24-storey Grenfell residential tower in North Kensington in West London, England, caught fire.
In fact, David was the first firefighter to enter the Grenfell Tower, where he resuscitated an unconscious woman lying on the floor and covered the remains of a man who had jumped out of the building. He also went looking for other survivors in the tower. Incidentally, Manny’s 12-year-old niece, Jessica Urbano Ramirez, was one of the residents. Unfortunately, despite his best attempts, David could not locate her in the burning building. Following the tragedy, the firefighter was left devastated and formed a guard of honor with other firefighters at the funerals of Grenfell victims, including Jessica.
He opened up about his experience and the aftermath in an interview with The Guardian. He revealed, “In the following month I cried every day and talking about what happened was very upsetting. I started to realise that I needed to do something to help the community. Since then I have been helping to raise money for the survivors and bereaved.” He added, “It was like being in a war film— things were exploding overhead and landing on our shields and craters were appearing in the ground from all of the falling debris. Shards of metal were falling down, as well as concrete and glass and there were fireballs coming down all over the place.”
David Badillo is Seemingly Still Surrounded by the Love and Care of His Friends and Family
In the years that followed, David Badillo dealt with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and became paranoid. For his bravery, outstanding work, and commitment to serving the people of the North Kensington community, David Badillo earned the solidarity medal, which is considered the highest award given by the Fire Brigades Union. He also played a key role in establishing several initiatives, including “Kids on the Green,” to provide the much-needed support and care to the traumatized community of Grenfell. From what we can tell, his friendship with Manfred “Manny” Ruiz has gotten even stronger after the tragedy. In fact, he and Manny’s brother, Carlos, joined forces and began selling T-shirts to raise funds for the survivors of the tragedy.
In 2019, David participated in a charity swim and ran the London Marathon with Manny in 2021 to raise additional money for the local community. He told the Fire Brigade Union (FBU), “…I love the job still. You become very close to those at the station you work with, you build friendships and camaraderie with your watch. When the bells go down, you get an adrenaline rush. I love that feeling. I get a real rush from helping someone – not necessarily something dramatic, maybe getting someone out of a lift.” Through the tough times, his wife, Claire, with whom he shares two children, took care of him and supported him. He claimed that he and she, who is a cabin crew member for Virgin Atlantic, took turns caring for their children.
On the sixth anniversary of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, David Badillo conversed with The News Movement and criticized the failures of the government that led to the disaster. To be specific, he expressed his frustration with the government’s failure to introduce emergency evacuation plans for residents with disabilities. He emphasized how supportive his family and friends were during one of the toughest times in his career. He stated, “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.” From what we can tell, the firefighter continues to reside in London, England, with his wife, Claire, and their kids, while doing everything he can for the betterment of the community.
Read More: Eric Pickles: Where is the Minister Now? Grenfell Fire Update
