A groundbreaking fire training centre is now midway through construction ahead of its opening next year.
Ashford’s fire station is to be transformed into one of the “most modern and innovative” firefighter training sites in the country.
Plans for the £10.7 million development came in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy in June 2017 after fire services, including Kent’s, reviewed how to respond to such incidents and train its crews.
The rebuild at Ashford fire station, on the Henwood Industrial Estate, will see the existing 17m live fire training building demolished and replaced with an 18m high-rise and a detached two-storey support building.
It will allow crews to practice “compartment firefighting” in buildings such as blocks of flats.
The current fire station facility is being renovated and remodelled as part of the project, but remains operational.
Work on the project started in August 2024, with groundworks on the new building getting underway in January.
Now, several months later, contractors have made huge strides with the new facility.
Bosses at main contractor, Morgan Sindall, confirmed the project is halfway through completion following some minor delays.
They say the main reinforced concrete structural frame – featuring a brick facade – is almost complete with internal and external walls now being constructed.
Off-site fabrication is also underway for the specialist smoke capture and filtration system which will be installed in late October, while internal fit-out and external works will continue into the New Year.
Construction was originally due to be completed in December but after groundwork took longer than anticipated, the site is now expected to be finished in spring 2026.
Kent Fire and Rescue Service’s (KFRS) Jon Quinn says the facility will be groundbreaking for firefighters.
Its director of protection, prevention and engagement said: “We’re making good progress building the new five-storey training facility now taking shape in Ashford.
“When operational next year, KFRS firefighters will have a state-of-the-art fire training facility that supports a range of training scenarios to further ensure we have the greatest impact when responding to emergencies.”
The training facility will feature three carbonaceous burn rooms with the layout allowing for several training scenarios including a floor with artificial smoke capabilities.
A specialised part of the building will also enable firefighters to prepare for confined space rescues with static sensors installed to record the temperatures the structure has been exposed to.
This is alongside ducts above windows and doors to capture the smoke and process it through a water-based on-site filtration plant, emitting the smoke as clean steam.
A gantry will also be built around the building to replicate high-rise buildings with a training tower to facilitate dummy training and bariatric rescues.
When the project’s plans were approved in 2022, KFRS’s Matthew Deadman told Ashford Borough Council’s (ABC) planning committee the Grenfell disaster has influenced the service’s plans for training.
“This event has caused all fire services to review how they prepare their firefighters,” he said.
“We need our firefighters to be at the top of their profession at any incident they attend. To do this, they need realistic training facilities.
“This allows us to replicate fires we can reasonably foresee happening in tall buildings in Kent, of which Ashford has a number.”
