Firefighters storm new training unit

A NEW state-of-the-art fire training centre was unveiled in Aberdeenshire yesterday aimed at saving hundreds of lives every year.

The multi-storey hot fire unit is comprised of 22 interconnected compartments, specially constructed using huge shipping containers, to simulate everything from a huge commercial blaze to an urban search and rescue.

The 380,000 facility has been brought in to replace the old training centre at Portlethen.,.

It is the only facility of its kind that allows fire crews to train in multiple scenario exercises while battling through thick smoke and intense heat.

The new unit will also allow firefighters to tackle various fire behaviours such as flashover and backdraft, and because of the multiple entry points, no two exercises need ever be the same.

Yesterday, Grampian force's Green Watch got the chance to storm the building for the first time during live fire exercises, with temperatures inside soaring to 1,000C.

Station manager at Grampian Fire and Rescue Service's Development Centre, John Morgan, said the new unit would undoubtedly save lives.

He added: "This is the best facility in Scotland, if not the UK."