Fire Service builds new national training centre in Rotorua

A new multi purpose national fire fighting training centre is being built in Rotorua, the Minister Responsible for the New Zealand Fire Service Commission, Mark Burton announced today.

The $10.2 million centre will be capable of training more than 1500 career and volunteer fire fighters each year.

The new centre would be the base for all New Zealand Fire Service recruit training and enable career and volunteer fire fighters and officers to receive realistic live fire training in a safe, controlled environment, Mr Burton said.

It would also be used for specialist training such as fire and arson investigation, technical rescue methods and multi-agency incident management techniques.

The new centre would replace the need to practice fire-fighting by burning disused buildings. It would provide realistic live fire training in a safe and environmentally sustainable environment, he said.

"This new facility will replace dispersed training facilities currently provided in a converted warehouse and other ad hoc locations that no longer meet the training needs of a modern fire rescue service," Mr Burton said.

" We are delighted with the new facility. It will house the only compartmentalised, structural live fire training facility in New Zealand allowing training in techniques for entering a fire scene, extinguishing fires, fire control and fire behaviour understanding," New Zealand Fire Service National Commander, Mike Hall said.

The contract for the work has been awarded to Ebert Construction.

Building on the new centre at Eastgate, an industrial area on the outskirts of Rotorua, has started and is due to be completed by January next year. It is due to host its first recruit course in April 2006.

ENDS

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