A groundbreaking ceremony has been held to mark a key milestone in the construction of a new, state-of-the-art firefighter training facility in Ashford, Kent.

The £10.7 million development will see the creation of a real fire training facility (RFTF), providing Kent fire crews with an advanced and realistic high-rise environment to enhance their firefighting skills within complex buildings. The current facility will also be remodelled during the project and will remain fully operational throughout.

On Tuesday 4th March, representatives from Kent Fire & Rescue Service (KFRS), and main contractor Morgan Sindall Construction’s Southern Home Counties business came together for the event. The ceremonial groundbreaking was carried out by Ann Millington, Chief Executive of KFRS, with KMFRA Chairman Cllr Nick Chard, KFRS Director Jon Quinn, and Morgan Sindall Area Director Guy Hannell in attendance.

The RFTF will be 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, providing crews with valuable experience, knowledge and skills.

The new, 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 the structure has been exposed to. 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 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. This system is vital to both minimise carbon emissions and to protect the local population and environment.

Externally, a gantry will run around the building’s sides to replicate high-rise buildings and there will be a five-storey training tower to facilitate dummy training and bariatric rescues.

Sustainability will be a key focus for KFRS and Morgan Sindall throughout the project. The tier one contractor has leveraged its Intelligent Solutions approach to explore how to make the development as sustainable as possible. This has seen Morgan Sindall utilise its digital carbon reduction tool Carbonica to analyse the design and build process and it will implement its 10 Tonne Challenge to minimise carbon emissions during construction.

The project’s key sustainability features include an above ground attenuation tank to store rain and water used during training, allowing it to be reused while protecting the area’s aquifers and drainage systems. The sustainability strategy will also see electric vehicle charging points installed and a memorial welfare garden will be created that supports local flora and fauna, with native species planted and habitats for birds and bats.

The 24/7 nature of the site and KFRS’s work means the Morgan Sindall team will have to minimise any inconvenience to the service’s operations. The project team have planned construction activity and deliveries to ensure there is no disruption during the building work.

Guy Hannell, Morgan Sindall Construction’s Southern Home Counties Area Director, said: “The groundbreaking ceremony at Kent Fire and Rescue Service’s (KFRS) new facility was a very proud moment for the whole team, as we know how important this project is for Kent’s firefighters and the vital work they do in our local area.

“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.”

Ann Millington, Chief Executive at KFRS, said: “We are looking forward to working with Morgan Sindall to develop a cutting-edge training facility at our fire station in Ashford, which will enhance the skill of our firefighters when they need to respond to complex fires. The new station will provide our crews with hyper-realistic exercises to ensure our crews are prepared and able to excel in an emergency.”

Morgan Sindall Construction’s Southern Home Counties business has extensive experience in the blue-light sector which it will be able to leverage during the project.

This includes the recent completion of a comprehensive refurbishment at East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service’s historic Preston Circus Community Fire Station in Brighton.