weymouthOn Monday July 18, 2011, the first crew from Weymouth's blue watch carried out their duties from the brand new, state-of-the-art Weymouth Community Fire Station on Radipole Lane, Weymouth.   

The contemporary, eye-catching building is finally operational after five years of meticulous consultation, planning and construction, and the community resource and 'FireWise' live fire demonstration facilities are up and running for all to see and use.  

As well as the operational fire station, the new community fire station element offers many opportunities for the local and wider community, with the building housing a variety of rooms of many sizes and for many purposes that offer a range of opportunities for promoting safety, education and wider community use. It hosts a huge range of flexible spaces that can be used in creative ways to best serve the local and wider community including a fitness room, IT suite, kitchens and cafeteria for community use, a multi-purpose hall with a sprung floor and staging available, two community rooms, meeting rooms and a universal room.   

At the heart of the new facility is FireWise, an innovative andcompelling learning opportunity where the visitor experiences realistic fire scenarios to helpthem to learn how to keep themselves safe. FireWise consists of three rooms; 'before', 'during' and 'after' the fire and is aimed at educating the public by showing them the devastating effects of fire. Groups will be able to view the rooms from behind fully fire-safe glass, watch as the fire takes hold in the room and see the devastating affects in the 'after' suite. 

Chief Fire Officer Darran Gunter, said: "Our new Community Fire Station will provide a first class hub from which we can not only respond to emergency incidents, but also work with local communities within Weymouth and West Dorset to educate people in a wide range of life skills and general safety.  It is a stunning example of a modern fire and rescue service protecting their local communities with a balance of prevention and response activities.   

"The state of the art education facilities in the FireWise zone will provide a memorable learning experience for people of all abilities and all ages. Additionally, the flexible nature of the design and layout provides fantastic facilities for local communities.  It has been a great team effort between DFRS, Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, our constructors Morgan Sindall, local community groups and all associated staff in DFRS, it is again proof of our vision of 'working in partnership to make Dorset safer." 

The new community fire station was be open for all to see on Saturday July 23, when the 'Weymouth Fire Fayre' extravaganza took place. This community focussed event heralded the public launch of the facility and was formally opened by local sailing double gold medallist, Sarah Ayton. The event provided an opportunity for members of the public to have a grand tour of the building, see FireWise demonstrations, ask any questions and enjoy 'all the fun of the Fayre' to boot.  

Weymouth Community Safety Centre can be found at Radipole Lane, Weymouth, Dorset, DT4 0QF. 

 

Posted: 10.14, 2.8.11, rachael.haydon@pavpub.com