Case study Portlethen Fire & Rescue Centre Case Study

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service required safe, realistic training facilities that represent the real environment that operational crews will face. This includes the ability to conduct on-site training in the use of breathing apparatus, technical rescue and urban search and rescue.

With the existing Portlethen training centre not fit for purpose, a £4-million investment project has seen it transformed into the second largest fire training site in Scotland.

The new site includes three new buildings:

• The first designed to replicate commercial/industrial buildings. With four storeys and a basement, the building allows crews to train in ship firefighting and rescue techniques.
• The next, designed to replicate a domestic building. The internal fixtures and fittings replicate that of a domestic house in look and feel. The building also allows crews to train in ladder techniques and working on roofs.
• Finally, a Technical Rescue building. Technical Rescue encompasses Safe Working at Height, Rope Rescue and Confined Space. The building also provides the opportunity to utilise and hone skills and techniques required at Road Traffic Collisions and some Urban Search and Rescue incidents.

Forterra’s Butterley Granite Ash fulfilled each of these requirements. It provided the water absorption and compressive strength required, while its rougher texture with a consistent finish helped to integrate the buildings with the rural context. The brick also offered the natural distressed aesthetic and irregular shape associated with reclaimed bricks, thereby achieving the vision of the architect.