Councillors preview new West Sussex training centre and fire station for Horsham

Members of the county council’s fire and rescue service scrutiny committee also joined cabinet members, along with county councillors for Horsham, ahead of the site – the first of its kind in the county – becoming operational.

The site combines a multi-use training centre and 24/7 response fire station for Horsham and the surrounding area. Firefighters from the existing fire station at Hurst Road will move to the new site from the middle of next month.

The training centre will allow firefighters to train in a wide range of realistic scenarios, such as live fire conditions, working from height and road traffic collisions.

A county council spokesperson said: “This will further enhance the skills and professionalism of our staff enabling them to continue serving the residents and communities of West Sussex.”

And council leader Paul Marshall, said: “This new training centre and fire station represents a significant investment from West Sussex County Council in our fire and rescue service to ensure we provide our staff with industry-leading facilities to ensure they are equipped to respond to emergency situations swiftly and safely.

“I am proud to say that sustainability is at the heart of the project, and we have placed a strong emphasis on the use of the latest technology and renewable energy sources to minimise our environmental footprint. The whole site will be carbon neutral, which supports the county council’s drive to become carbon neutral by 2030.

“This is a significant step forward for our fire service that will allow us to deliver for the whole of West Sussex.”

The site features solar panels and electric vehicle charging points, as well as air source heat pumps which provide heating.

Chief Fire Officer Sabrina Cohen-Hatton said: “The new facility utilises the very best in latest technology, both for our firefighters who will be based in our new fire station, and all our staff who will benefit from our new training centre.

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“This will allow us to deliver true-to-life training environments to ensure our staff are fully prepared for emergency situations when they arise – keeping the people living in our communities in West Sussex safe from harm.”