New Fire & Rescue academy opened at Forrestfield

28/2/97

Western Australia's firefighters will now have access to world-class training facilities with the opening of the Fire and Rescue Service's new academy at Forrestfield, according to Emergency Services Minister John Day.

Mr Day said the new $10 million state-of-the-art training academy would ensure that firefighters from the Fire and Rescue Service, Bush Fires Board and CALMfire had facilities which would support their needs well into the 21st century.

"In WA the fire service agencies attend a combined total of more than 9,000 bush fires, approximately 3,500 property fires and about 1,400 emergencies involving hazardous materials and rescues each year," the Minister said.

"The community depends on the effectiveness and efficiency of our firefighters to combat these incidents and it is due to their professionalism that lives and property have been saved this summer.

"The role played by the Forrestfield Academy in training firefighters is crucial to achieving this high level of professionalism."

Mr Day said the Fire and Rescue Service trained several thousand career and volunteer firefighters each year, as well as providing courses for the WA Police Service and St John Ambulance recruits.

In addition, the academy's Industrial Training Unit provided specialist certified training to more than 5,000 personnel a year from mining and petro-chemical industry groups such, BP and Woodside.

"The new Forrestfield complex represents a $10 million investment by the State Government in providing all our firefighters, who operate throughout Western Australia, with the best training facilities for getting the job done safely and efficiently," Mr Day said.

The Minister said that 14 years ago the site of the new academy was originally a 'hot fire' training ground. In 1993 a breathing apparatus section was opened and the first stage of the building expansion program was completed two years ago at a cost of more than $2.5 million.

Now, with the completion of the $6 million final stage of the program, the Fire and Rescue Service had closed the old training facility at Belmont, which had been the State's main fire training facility for the past 25 years.

Mr Day said courses at the training academy included advanced firefighting, incident command and leadership skills. Training officers also gave instruction on road and confined space rescue, urban search and rescue which simulated collapsed buildings and trenches, and the removal of hazardous materials.

The new academy has been constructed in accordance with Environmental Protection Authority standards with water being stored and recycled and air pollution controls put in place to reduce toxic smoke during training exercises.

Media contact: Mark Thompson on 322 2311