Construction work is well underway on Merseyside Fire & Rescue Authority’s new state of the art training facility, multi-pump superstation and National Resilience Centre of Excellence in the heart of the community.
The development will improve operational response times and enable MFRS to plan effectively and efficiently against foreseeable risk and emerging threats, providing outstanding facilities for a diverse range of operational and support staff to develop and maintain their skills.
Designed to be accessible to all, the new location will also offer staff well-being facilities, youth engagement facilities and meeting rooms for community use to ensure a lasting legacy in the heart of the community MFRS serves, 365 days a year, 24 hours a day.
As well as house staff from the National Resilience Assurance Team (NRAT), International Search and Rescue team (ISAR) and secondary Fire Control, embedding National Resilience into the DNA of Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service.
The build, situated in the heart of the community on a 12-acre site on Long Lane, Aintree, will be completed by mid-2024 by Wates Construction, who were awarded the contract having produced first-class fire stations at Prescot and most recently St. Helens.
The progressive vision for the facility will include immersive, realistic training zones that can be adapted to train for any foreseeable risk including high-rise, marine, flooding, motorway and train incidents. The site will also include a 4-bay fire station offering 24-hour emergency response to the surrounding area and a National Resilience Centre of Excellence at the heart of the facility.
The environmental impact of the site has been considered carefully. Air source heat pumps and photovoltaic panels will provide energy, with an ultimate commitment to achieving zero carbon for the site moving forward. Twenty-three electric vehicle charging points will be included within the car parking spaces and a number of green measures have been incorporated into the site including biodiversity improvement measures and the planting of over 150 mature trees
The multifunctional site will enable MFRS to implement a multitude of incident scenarios at the same time, exponentially improving the Service’s ability to train against foreseeable risk and emerging threats in conditions as close to real incidents as possible.
For free fire safety advice, or to request a home fire safety check, call 0800 731 5958.
Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service also provides free smoke alarms for those over 65 or meeting certain criteria.