Brief
Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has over 600 operational personnel and organises up to 272 instructional days per year at their training centre in Wattisham.
A new building was required to improve welfare, office space and classroom facilities to support the SFRS training programme and enable all the Training and Development team to be based in Wattisham. As well as providing a centralised base for training and development activities, the client wished to improve the standards of training available to SFRS employees and visiting students, in addition to providing further hot training facilities.
Key Info
Project Location:
Wattisham, Suffolk
Project Type:
New Build
Client:
Suffolk County Council – Suffolk Fire & Rescue Service
Contractor:
Alpine Metal Tech Gmbh, BeaverFit UK + Integra Buildings
Project Completion:
January 2023
Project Value:
£1,640,000
Contract Type:
JCT Design & Build
Concertus Disciplines:
Building Services Design, Project Management
Scope
Having worked closely with the client to provide 2 fire training rigs (one for gas training and one for carbonaceous fire training) on the same site in 2021, our team already had great knowledge of SFRS’s requirements and aspirations for the complex.
Additional hot rig training rigs (one carbonaceous unit and one Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) rig) were needed to support the training of firefighters in realistic and controlled environments. These rigs were of similar construction and used the same materials as the existing carbonaceous rig previously installed by our team in 2010.
A modular building was delivered for the welfare, office space and classroom facilities, with the ability to be relocated if necessary in the future. Our Project Manager supported the two-stage procurement of the modular unit via the Suffolk County Council Construction Framework. Concertus are committed to supporting local businesses including contractors and suppliers, which also helps with our commitment to Net Zero.
This bespoke building incorporated a range of sustainable features including an air source heat pump, well-insulated building fabric, and hi-spec LED lighting. Replacing the poor facilities on site with an energy-efficient building has resulted in an EPC B rating, as well as a more comfortable environment for the firefighters to train in. The facility is also DDA compliant. Infrastructure for future PV panels was incorporated into the design, allowing the client to add the panels to the building. We are now working with the client to install the PV panels by the end of 2023.
Imagery
Result
Wattisham’s new facilities support the collaborative working, training and development of the firefighters in a realistic and controlled environment.
The Suffolk Fire and Rescue team now have a number of new training options available to them, ensuring the site remains a Centre of Excellence for the Training, Learning and Development of SFRS employees and visiting students.
In addition to replacing areas which were coming to the end of their life, the new fit for purpose facilities will help to reduce running costs whilst minimising the impact on the environment.
Testimonials
“The new training complexes allow us to give new firefighters the best training possible in a way that is realistic yet less harmful to the environment, through us not having to use as much carbon-based burning material as before.”
Jon Lacey, Chief Fire Officer (CFO), Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service
“I am delighted to see this superb new facility open. The work of the fire service is vital in protecting our community and often requires them to undertake hazardous work in extremely demanding conditions. Our firefighters deserve the best possible training to prepare them for such work and this facility will offer exactly that for many years to come.”
Councillor Andrew Reid, Suffolk County Council Cabinet Member for Public Health and Public Protection and chair of the Suffolk Fire Authority