A self-storage unit in Telford has become a training base for Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service for the second time as part of a burgeoning partnership.
The Space Place in Stafford Park was turned into a disaster zone for the most recent training exercise, with firefighters donning breathing apparatus to clear up a hazardous material spill.
Staff at The Space Place said they were happy to help out the fire service by allowing their premises to be used for the training exercise.
Ian Freeman, Space Place manager, said: “The scenario was that some drums containing a hazardous substance had broken open, and a customer and myself had been overcome by fumes.
“The main aim of the exercise was for firefighters to practice how they would deal with such a situation, and they set up a decontamination unit in the car park and used lots of specialist equipment.
“It’s the second time we worked with the fire service for an exercise like this and it’s great to be able to do our bit to help.”
Adam Tempest, watch manager at Telford Fire Station, said training exercises were vital to ensure firefighters were well prepared for a variety of situations.
“It’s important to test our response in a different environment,” he said. “We can go through drills at the station all day long, but it’s brilliant to have the option of using a building like The Space Place which is big with lots of corridors on different levels.
“It’s an ideal training ground and we are grateful to the owners for letting us use their premises, it’s a big help.”
Mr Freeman said he was happy for The Space Place to continue to be used for training exercises in the future.
He said: “Being a valuable part of the community is a key aim for us as a business, and we would be delighted to carry on working with the fire service like this.”
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