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20 October 2023
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Fire stations of the world: Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service’s Basingstoke Fire Station, UK
A new chapter of Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service history was started on 15 February 2018 with the official opening of the new Basingstoke Fire Station in the UK. The new £6 million building was constructed on the existing site in West Ham Close, which has access to comprehensive road links, enabling vehicles to attend incidents as quickly as possible.
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS) provided the new fire station brief as follows:
Garage for ten vehicles – six front line and four specials
Accommodation for 80 whole time and 20 retained firefighters
Associated support facilities
Extended smoke training facility, training tower, training ditch for animal rescue
Six storey training tower
To be fit for purpose for a minimum of 50+ years.
The main driver for the design was operational effectiveness ensuring firefighters can respond as quickly as possible to an emergency call out. The building was developed in consultation with stakeholders including station managers, watch managers and crew.
Featuring four individual but linked buildings, defined by their function, the building design needed to be sympathetic to it’s location in a residential area; accessible to a diverse range of staff and the community with flexible, integrated and inclusive accommodation designed to afford full access to persons with physical disability. Current crews and well known faces from the past, who between them have centuries of firefighting experience, joined dignitaries to mark the event. Visitors were treated to a showcase of the town’s fire heritage with exhibits and video highlighting the new station’s diverse roles.
The facility is high quality, robust and durable; a sustainable building with low cost on-going maintenance and utility consumption. The building is designed to be passively and naturally ventilated with all habitable spaces having opening windows and cross ventilation. Thermal modelling has informed the design and construction to avoid overheating in the summer. And to reduce the need for electric lighting, there are opening roof lights incorporated to aid cross ventilation and promote natural lighting.
It was officially opened on 15 February 2018 by Lord Lieutenant of Basingstoke Fire Station on his first official engagement.
During the official opening in 2018, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority chairman councillor Chris Carter introduced speeches from chief fire officer Neil Odin and Lord-Lieutenant of Hampshire Nigel Atkinson. Guests were then treated to a tour of the ultra-modern fire station, which is one of the most strategically important in the county.
The bespoke station has increased vehicle capacity and improved access enabling it to respond to incidents as quickly as possible. It also has enhanced training facilities. CFO Odin said, “This is a modern station for a modern era. It will be of benefit to the people of Basingstoke and the county as a whole and help the fire service carry out its job of keeping the communities of Hampshire safe. I am sure that this building, as the previous one, will have a special place in the heart of the town.”
The old facility, built in the 1960s, was demolished, after extensive consultation, due to maintenance costs and advances in firefighting tactics. Basingstoke station manager Keith Jones, said, “It is an honour to hold this post during such a historic period. This excellent facility will help us keep the public safe. As well as attending incidents, crews at this station will play a key role in prevention, training and community engagement.”
Cllr Carter added, “This prestigious event marks the dawn of a new age of firefighting and a new era for the service. The bespoke training facilities and focus on community engagement shows that Hampshire is at the forefront of modern firefighting. This new station will be one of the jewels in the crown of what is, I believe, one of the best fire and rescue services in the country.”
The station has 64 full-time firefighters, 18 on-call firefighters and four members of the community safety team. It also has three fire engines, an aerial ladder platform, a response support vehicle, a command vehicle and a small fires vehicle. There are plans to allow community groups to use the station in the near future.
The station, built by Kier Construction Southern, includes a training hub and public rooms that can be used by local groups.
Kier Construction Southern started work on the new building in May 2016 while the crews were based in temporary on-site accommodation. The last station to be built by the service was Winchester seven years ago.
3D Aluminium undertook the new window, door and curtain walling installation works. They utilised the Sapa 75Si HP Casement Window System, Sapa Stormframe II doors and Sapa Elegance 52 Curtain Walling solutions to give the new building a fresh, dynamic look whilst providing optimum thermal performance.
Key benefits of the new fire station
Designed for operational effectiveness
Sustainable building with low cost on-going maintenance and utility consumption
Passively and naturally ventilated with opening windows and cross ventilation in habitable spaces
Solar PV system installed by HCC energy team. A cost effective solution meeting HFRS compliance requirements.
Sources: Hampshire County Council, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, Basingstoke Gazette, 3D Aluminium
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS) provided the new fire station brief as follows:
Garage for ten vehicles – six front line and four specials
Accommodation for 80 whole time and 20 retained firefighters
Associated support facilities
Extended smoke training facility, training tower, training ditch for animal rescue
Six storey training tower
To be fit for purpose for a minimum of 50+ years.
The main driver for the design was operational effectiveness ensuring firefighters can respond as quickly as possible to an emergency call out. The building was developed in consultation with stakeholders including station managers, watch managers and crew.
Featuring four individual but linked buildings, defined by their function, the building design needed to be sympathetic to it’s location in a residential area; accessible to a diverse range of staff and the community with flexible, integrated and inclusive accommodation designed to afford full access to persons with physical disability. Current crews and well known faces from the past, who between them have centuries of firefighting experience, joined dignitaries to mark the event. Visitors were treated to a showcase of the town’s fire heritage with exhibits and video highlighting the new station’s diverse roles.
The facility is high quality, robust and durable; a sustainable building with low cost on-going maintenance and utility consumption. The building is designed to be passively and naturally ventilated with all habitable spaces having opening windows and cross ventilation. Thermal modelling has informed the design and construction to avoid overheating in the summer. And to reduce the need for electric lighting, there are opening roof lights incorporated to aid cross ventilation and promote natural lighting.
It was officially opened on 15 February 2018 by Lord Lieutenant of Basingstoke Fire Station on his first official engagement.
During the official opening in 2018, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority chairman councillor Chris Carter introduced speeches from chief fire officer Neil Odin and Lord-Lieutenant of Hampshire Nigel Atkinson. Guests were then treated to a tour of the ultra-modern fire station, which is one of the most strategically important in the county.
The bespoke station has increased vehicle capacity and improved access enabling it to respond to incidents as quickly as possible. It also has enhanced training facilities. CFO Odin said, “This is a modern station for a modern era. It will be of benefit to the people of Basingstoke and the county as a whole and help the fire service carry out its job of keeping the communities of Hampshire safe. I am sure that this building, as the previous one, will have a special place in the heart of the town.”
The old facility, built in the 1960s, was demolished, after extensive consultation, due to maintenance costs and advances in firefighting tactics. Basingstoke station manager Keith Jones, said, “It is an honour to hold this post during such a historic period. This excellent facility will help us keep the public safe. As well as attending incidents, crews at this station will play a key role in prevention, training and community engagement.”
Cllr Carter added, “This prestigious event marks the dawn of a new age of firefighting and a new era for the service. The bespoke training facilities and focus on community engagement shows that Hampshire is at the forefront of modern firefighting. This new station will be one of the jewels in the crown of what is, I believe, one of the best fire and rescue services in the country.”
The station has 64 full-time firefighters, 18 on-call firefighters and four members of the community safety team. It also has three fire engines, an aerial ladder platform, a response support vehicle, a command vehicle and a small fires vehicle. There are plans to allow community groups to use the station in the near future.
The station, built by Kier Construction Southern, includes a training hub and public rooms that can be used by local groups.
Kier Construction Southern started work on the new building in May 2016 while the crews were based in temporary on-site accommodation. The last station to be built by the service was Winchester seven years ago.
3D Aluminium undertook the new window, door and curtain walling installation works. They utilised the Sapa 75Si HP Casement Window System, Sapa Stormframe II doors and Sapa Elegance 52 Curtain Walling solutions to give the new building a fresh, dynamic look whilst providing optimum thermal performance.
Key benefits of the new fire station
Designed for operational effectiveness
Sustainable building with low cost on-going maintenance and utility consumption
Passively and naturally ventilated with opening windows and cross ventilation in habitable spaces
Solar PV system installed by HCC energy team. A cost effective solution meeting HFRS compliance requirements.
Sources: Hampshire County Council, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, Basingstoke Gazette, 3D Aluminium
