Live Fire Training Facility  

  • Client

    Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue Service

  • Contractor

  • Value

    £3.7m

  • Completion Date

    October 2023

The Challenge

Ensuring a heat protection strategy due to the function of the building.  

The new facility was designed to present fire fighters with the experience of tackling fires in a controlled situation. The facility provides them with an environment where they can study how fire behaves in different conditions and the best practices to respond to the fire. With the facility use in mind, it was important that the facility was designed to withstand serious fire.  

Negating challenges faced working within a live blue light environment.

The project took place at the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue Service HQ, where training took place in close proximity to the site. The site was also shared with Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary, which meant there were a number of parties to be mindful of during the build and it was pivotal we maintained their daily activities.  

Managing safety on the project with forward planning and frequent communication.

Numerous challenges were faced during the construction of the live fire building including coordination of the crane, working at height and being in close proximity to the local airport and railway.  

The Solution

Morgan Sindall’s structural engineer designed wall, floor and ceiling protection to burn areas, ensuring the building’s external structure remained below the Eurocode requirement of 60 degrees. Temperature sensors were installed to manage internal temperatures, which means should ceiling temperatures reach 450 degrees, they trigger an audible/ visual alarm system that alerts trainers of overheating and trigger the manual extinguishing of heat source with a hose.  

Extensive communication and planning was key to managing the project in this live environment occupied by emergency services. This was successfully managed through weekly coordination meetings with the client to ensure activities were planned around their timetable to minimise disruptive activities during their busier periods. A full-time banks person was also employed to manage and coordinate deliveries with the fire service.  

These safety challenges were negated through careful planning and collaboration including: 

  • Choosing the right crane mat to ensure the ground would be able to maintain the weight of a circa 120t crane. Subsequently, CVR tests and a sub-base ensured the ground was safe to withhold the crane  
  • Using the Easi Edge safety system for working at height with its temporary edge protection barriers 
  • Acquiring a crane permit due the close proximity of the local airport and Basic Asset Protection Agreement (BAPA) permit for working close to the railway 

The Results

The Live Fire Training Facility is one of very few of its kind in operation and presents vital experience to trainees as they tackle controlled fire situations whilst experiencing realistic after-effects and complications under supervision; forming a key part of fire fighters training in Hampshire and the surrounding areas.  

5

Apprentices

70%

SME Spend

29.5%

Added Value

8/10

Client Satisfaction

Contractor Performance | Commitments

Legacy

15 SMEs (9 local) – 13 beneficiaries – 3 jobs created 

Schools engagement: 949 students – 130 trainee weeks 

£1.93 LM3  – 92% social value created 

Sustainability

16.2 tonnes carbon equivalent saved in Morgan Sindall’s 10 Tonne Carbon Challenge by changing the heat protection tile supplier to a UK supplier, reducing number of and distance of deliveries 

98% waste diverted from landfill 

7 biodiversity enhancements 

Aftercare

Soft landings for handover 

Dedicated Morgan Sindall point of contact 

On-line portal for notifying any defects with 3 priority categories for response times 

Safe

Zero RIDDORS

CCS Score 40/45 

Fair

100% payment within 30 days terms

Client Testimonials

“It is wonderful to see our new live fire unit up and running, with our firefighters already seeing the benefits of this modern facility. We are committed to investing in our estate which ranges from fire stations to buildings such as this which supports the training and development of our crews. Our team has been working hard alongside Morgan Sindall on this project and many others including the new fire station in Cosham set to open next year.”

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Cosham Fire Station