Pictured at the contract signing were: (Front, L-R): Sharon Kennedy, Director of Services, Offaly County Council, Cllr Tony McCormack, Brendan Heaney of Tobin Consulting Engineers. (Rear, L-R): Clive Duke, Senior Assistant Chief Fire Officer, and Eoin O’Ceilleachair, Chief Fire Officer.

Design contract signed for firefighters' training centre in Tullamore

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Offaly County Council has signed contracts with a design consultant for the delivery of a new Fire Service Training and Development Centre in Tullamore.

The council's Fire and Rescue Service signed contracts with Tobin Consulting Engineers, which will lead the design team for the facility that will be constructed on land adjacent to the fire station at Kilcruttin, Tullamore.

The centre is to include an expanded drill yard, drill tower and training support block, along with provisions for confined space training and vehicle storage, and it will complement the existing Breathing Apparatus Training Centre.

In addition to Tobin Consulting, the design team includes Kenny Lyons Associates Architects and Coffey Consulting Engineering, with the handover to Offaly County Council scheduled for the summer of 2023.

Offaly County Council Fire & Rescue Service secured €900,000 in funding under the 'Fire Service Capital Programme 2021-2025' for the development of the training centre which will provide facilities not only for Offaly but for fire authorities across the country.

The facility will allow for an extended range of courses to be delivered, including national QQI courses in Firefighter Skills, Breathing Apparatus, Pump Operations, Transportation and Hazardous Materials.

The centre will be also utilised for the delivery of Officer Development courses as part of the Central Training Programme delivered nationally by the National Directorate for Fire & Emergency Management.

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