Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service Celebrates the Opening of its New State-of-the-Art Training and Development Academy

On a historic day for Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS) we saw it officially open its brand-new Training and Development Academy (TDA) on Long Lane, Aintree.

With state-of-the-art facilities and cutting-edge technology, the training and development academy will provide Merseyside’s firefighters with the knowledge and skills they need to face the challenges of a modern fire and rescue service.

From simulated fire scenarios to advanced medical training, its personnel will be equipped to handle any situation with skill, adeptness, and professionalism.

The official opening of the new Academy on Thursday 27th June 2024 is the culmination of years of planning.

It will also be home of the National Resilience (NR) Assurance Team, International Search and Rescue team (ISAR) and NR Fire Control, embedding National and International work into the DNA of Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service.

The multifunctional site will allow MFRS to deliver a multitude of incidents at the same time, exponentially improving the Service’s ability to train against foreseeable risk and emerging threats in conditions as close to real incidents as possible.

Group Manager Phil Byrne, service lead for Training, said: “This move presents a fantastic opportunity to train against immersive and realistic scenarios with direct access to world class training facilities the whole Service can be proud of. We are looking forward to setting the standards for the future of fire and rescue.”

The progressive vision for the facility includes immersive, realistic training zones such as a six-storey high-rise building, a row of terraced houses, a motorway setting, specialist vehicle garages, a High-Volume Pump (HVP) training area and a suite of practical training classrooms. A purpose-built command and control suite will enable scope to train for a range of incidents, simulating small scale incidents through to major incidents involving multiple agencies.

Chief Fire Officer Phil Garrigan said: “This is a great day for the Service. The academy is everything we dreamed it would be, providing incredible training and development opportunities for our crews.

“I am confident that this academy will be a beacon of excellence and innovation in the field of fire and rescue service training - and know the positive impact it will have on the safety of our teams, our work nationally and internationally and most importantly of all our community.”