Contract awarded for West Sussex fire service training centre

Willmott Dixon has been selected by West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service on behalf of West Sussex County Council to deliver a state-of-the-art fire service training centre and fire station.

Key features of the scheme include a combined training tower and breathing apparatus facility, and a realistic live fire training area. The high-tech premises will also include a residential element for new recruit training, an incident command training facility, realistic road traffic collision training area and rooms for digital simulations.

Sustainability is at the heart of the project, with a strong emphasis on renewable energy sources such as solar panels and air source heat pumps to provide heating, as well as electric vehicle charging points, in line with the county council’s drive to become carbon neutral by 2030.

West Sussex County Council Cabinet Member for Community Support, Fire and Rescue, Duncan Crow, said: “I am delighted that this project has been approved. The new development represents a significant investment in our fire and rescue service that will allow our firefighters the very best in training facilities.”

Russell Miller, Director at Willmott Dixon’s Crawley office, said
“We are looking forward to building a first-class training facility that supports the brilliant work of West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service. With the focus on decarbonising property, renewable energy will be at the heart of this, keeping with our own sustainability objectives that all new buildings we deliver after 2030 should be net-zero carbon in use.”