Yahoo News Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service welcomes police and ambulance crews to share station in UK first
Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service is preparing to welcome other emergency services into the UK's first carbon-neutral Tri-station. Northumbria Police and the North East Ambulance Service will also be based at the state-of-the-art centre, which has replaced the existing fire station on Victoria Road West.
Designed with a focus on sustainability, collaboration and the community, the state-of-the-art combined emergency service centre will allow emergency services to work together effectively. Firefighters from TWFRS have proudly carried out their first shifts at the brand-new community tri-station, with employees from Northumbria Police and the North East Ambulance Service expected to move into the shared premises later this month.
The Hebburn Community Tri-Station, a flagship project for the region, has been developed by Esh Construction. The North East Contractor locally sourced materials and employees to create the landmark building, with 86% of people working on the scheme residents of the North East.
The site includes ground source heat pumps, electric vehicle charging (EV) points, a wildflower meadow to support local biodiversity and ‘E’ cycle storage and charging facilities. Over 340 photovoltaic panels (PV’s) are installed and spread across the flat roof, helping to generate up to 100% of the clean renewable electricity required to run the tri-station.
Peter Heath, Chief Fire Officer at Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, said: "We are looking forward to opening the doors to our brand-new fire station to our blue light colleagues late this month. All three organisations operating under one roof represent our vision to not only work alongside our blue light colleagues in the heart of the community but do so in a collaborative way that adds value to our communities.
"The project symbolises Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service's vision to reduce our carbon footprint and support our local communities."
Chief Superintendent Aelfwynn Sampson, Area Commander for South Tyneside at Northumbria Police, also said: "We are really looking forward to joining our blue light colleagues in the new Hebburn Tri-Station. This exciting initiative is another great example of collaboration with emergency service partners in the area, and will allow us to strengthen our working relationships under one roof.
"The purpose-built facility will help ensure we can continue to provide the very best service possible to our surrounding communities, and ultimately be there when the public need us most."
Stuart Holliday, Strategic Head of Emergency Preparedness Resilience and Response at North East Ambulance Service said: "The new Hebburn Tri-Station exemplifies the close working relationships we have in the region with our Fire and Police colleagues.
"Co-location enables us to learn from each other and form strong individual relationships, so that if we are asked to respond together to incidents, we can work with a better understanding of each other’s capabilities and provide safe and responsive care to all."
