Fire Service College - Operational Training

Operational Training

Operational training is carried out in several purpose built areas of the college, these include

• Breathing apparatus complex
• Industrial complexes
• Domestic property
• High rise property
• Areas for electrical, pool fire and fixed installation training
• Small-scale versions of petroleum and chemical installations
• A ship “Sir Henry”
• A railway, which includes a section of rail with locomotives and carriages of various types, both passenger and freight.
• A mock motorway (M96)
• USAR (Urban Search and Rescue)
• A range of aircraft including helicopters, military and civil passenger aircraft including a simulated Boeing 747
• Fire behaviour units

To support the operational training the college has a fully equipped appliance room with some 25 appliances from different manufacturers including pumps, aerial appliances, rescue tenders, USAR vehicles and hazmats appliances. There is also a large workshop to maintain the appliances and all the other operational equipment used.

The M96 motorway is a 400-yard (360-metre) stretch of road at the college which imitates in detail a typical UK motorway; it is used to teach firefighters in training how to deal with road traffic accidents. It consists of one of the former runways of the airfield. The numbering of the motorway is not consistent with the Great Britain road numbering scheme; however its number is largely irrelevant, as it is not open to the public.