The contractor behind the construction of a building in Hebburn that will house all three emergency services has shared the latest onsite images as the project heads towards handover.
Esh Construction is the appointed contractor to deliver one of the UK’s first carbon neutral emergency service tri-stations on behalf of Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service and Fire Authority.
The new Hebburn Tri-Station will become home to the Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS), Northumbria Police and the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS).
It is based on land between Hebburn’s Marine Drive and Campbell Park Road and will replace the current Hebburn Community Fire Station, which has been in operation for nearly 60 years.
There are two buildings taking shape – a main building which will include staff accommodation, offices, and appliance bays for emergency vehicles, as well as a free-standing training building to support and enhance the skills of specialist rescue as well as rope rescue firefighters.
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The rear of the main building includes five appliance bays, which will be used by the Fire and Rescue Service and the North East Ambulance Service.
The site includes light vehicle charging (EV) points to support all three emergency services’ current fleets of electric vehicles. But as technology develops - arrangements have also been put in place for future-proofing any potential expansion of heavy or light vehicles. ‘E’ cycle storage and charging facilities have been included for the Police’s Neighbourhood Policing Team.
Brickwork on the fire house, training tower and associated garage is now complete along with the installation of the specialist rope rescue training crane jib. The tower and fire house provides outstanding facilities for training and exercises. It will also allow joint training scenarios with partner blue light services to adopt a universal approach to supporting the general public in all things safety related.
Externally, work on the perimeter fencing and landscaping will continue, and a wildflower meadow will be planted that will help to nurture the relationship between local wildlife and the environment.
Sustainable technologies include ground source heat pumps and photovoltaic panels (PVs) of which there are over 340 panels spread across the tri-stations flat roofs. These will help generate up to 100% of clean renewable electricity required to run the tri-station.
TWFRS Chief Fire Officer, Peter Heath, said: “We are delighted to see the progress that has been made over the past 14 months with the construction of the Hebburn Tri-Station in South Tyneside. It represents our continued commitment to keeping people safe.
“The station design included a clear briefing to minimise the impact of contaminants from firefighting and the design and flow of the station will contribute significantly to our work to minimise the impact of the firefighting activity on our staff and partners.”
During the early construction phases, 585 hot rolled steel girders weighing 151 tonnes were constructed on site, and if they had been laid ‘end to end’ it would’ve been equivalent to the length of 20 football pitches. There are also 12 bore holes helping to provide warm and hot water on the Tri-Station with a cumulative depth of more than 2,500m.
Esh Construction is utilising locally sourced materials and 86% of construction operatives hail from the North East. A total of 228 apprentice weeks have also been delivered on the scheme.
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