Firefighter training centre mocks up collapsed building disaster zone

The facility in Washington, Tyne and Wear, has been hailed as a UK first.

Published Feb 9, 2022

A training centre which mocks up the scene firefighters face when tackling a collapsed building has been hailed as a UK first.

The facility has been constructed in Washington, Tyne and Wear, to help firefighters rescue casualties from disaster zones.

Firefighters collapsed building training aid — Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service officers undergo training on a new state-of-the-art facility (Owen Humpreys/PA)

The huge structure simulates the scene of a real-life disaster and snakes through the training yard at TWFRS headquarters.

TWFRS chief fire officer Chris Lowther said: “This state-of-the-art training aid allows us to simulate that type of disaster and offers realistic training for those specialist crews.”