MAWWFRS And NPT Homes Join Forces To Provide Unique Training Facility

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service has joined forces with NPT Homes to provide a unique training environment at the disused Cartref residential complex in Skewen. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The complex on Burrows Road was built in 1967 but was vacated earlier this year when it was not deemed feasible to bring it up to modern standards. With the flats due to be demolished later this year, NPT Homes has allowed the Fire Service to use the buildings for training purposes. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The fire fighters will initially be using synthetic smoke during training to simulate the conditions they encounter when tackling house fires. Later in the year, just prior to the building’s demolition, training will take place with real fire in a carefully controlled incident. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Station Manager Simon Pearson of the Fire Service assured nearby residents that the training fires set would be securely contained: ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The fires will be contained in cribs – 45 gallon drums cut in half and filled with damp straw. This creates a large volume of smoke and also contains the fire within the drum. This is the one of the most realistic forms of training that we can re-produce in a safe and controlled environment. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

We do not get much opportunity to train with real fire and smoke and so we are grateful to NPT Homes for allowing us to use Cartref for this purpose.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

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Richard Jones, Support Services Team Leader of NPT Homes said: ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“With Cartref lying empty until it is demolished later in the year, we were only too pleased to be able to accommodate Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service’s request to use it for training purposes. Having the fire fighters train in realistic conditions is vital for them to maintain the skills and expertise that they demonstrate when protecting our communities.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Local residents will be well informed when exercises are taking place with a series of leaflet drops and posters put up in the vicinity as well as local councillors being informed. The first exercise is scheduled to take place in July. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​