The £10.7m development will see the construction of a real fire training facility (RFTF), providing Kent Fire & Rescue Service (KFRS) with an realistic high-rise environment to develop firefighting skills within complex buildings. An existing facility will also be remodelled during the project and remain operational throughout.
The RFTF is being built at the site of the existing fire station in the Henwood area of Ashford. Once complete, the high-tech training centre will simulate realistic scenarios with flame and smoke.
The four-storey, class A training facility will be constructed using a reinforced concrete frame and with a block work and brick façade. Inside, there will be three carbonaceous burn rooms, and the layout will allow for a wide variety of training scenarios, including a floor with artificial smoke training capabilities. A specialised part of the building will also enable Kent firefighters to prepare for confined space rescues.
The nature of the structure, which must withstand fire and smoke, means a number of design and construction challenges have been considered. Static sensors will be installed to record the temperatures to which the structure has been exposed. Thanks to these design features, the building will be able to accommodate carbonaceous fires, which generate more realistic levels of heat and smoke compared to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) fires.
To manage the smoke created during the burns, an extensive smoke extraction and filtration system will be installed. Ducts above windows and doors will capture the smoke and process it through a water-based onsite filtration plant, emitting the smoke as clean steam.
Externally, a gantry around the building’s sides is designed to replicate high-rise buildings and there will be a five-storey training tower to facilitate dummy training and bariatric rescues.
Guy Hannell, area director of Morgan Sindall Construction’s Southern Home Counties business, said: “Creating a real fire training facility tailored to KFRS’ requirements has posed a number of interesting construction challenges, but this project is a great example of a closely aligned collaboration that’s committed to providing world-class training capabilities. Once complete, the site will be a showcase for how to meet the demands of the fire service in an innovative and sustainable manner. This has been possible thanks to the ambition of KFRS and an Intelligent Solutions-led approach to delivering a leading facility on-budget.”
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