Feature Story

A safety first

Chief Fire Officer for Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service Peter Dartford gives an overview of their PFI project success in making the county the safest place to be.

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service's vision is 'to make Staffordshire the safest place to be'. The Community Fire Station Project sits at the heart of this, and consequently was the driving force behind our bid for Private Finance Initiative (PFI) funding.

Back in May 2007, we were successful in securing £50m PFI credits for the rebuild of seven existing fire stations and the build of an additional three in the county. However, our bid was not to simply rebuild the stations into 'shinier' versions of the existing ones, but rather to turn them into community fire stations.

18 bidders for the contract were given a specification to design welcoming buildings that enabled the public to be integrated within them. Staff from all levels and sections of the service were then involved in the evaluation process of these bids, gradually whittling them down. Finally in November 2008, we announced Fire Support as the successful bidder. A consortium led by Bilfinger Berger Project Investments, Fire Support consists of: bankers Nord/LB; building contractors Thomas Vale and Stepnell; architects 3DReid, dac and Walker Simpson; and facilities management providers COFELY Ltd. Moreover, the scheme has also been supported by advisors from a range of disciplines. As one of the more complex tasks was acquiring the land required for four of the stations, HEB Surveyors LLP were contracted to carry this out and were pivotal in securing the required land.

Less than a year after the successful bidder was announced, the project was financially closed, the contracts were signed and construction had commenced. At half of the stations, fire-fighters had to decant into temporary buildings whilst construction work took place. This was a crucial part of the project as not only did operational response have to be maintained, but so did the health and safety of the crews who were working alongside the construction sites. One by one the new stations came online, the first in July 2010 and the final one in November, with the end result of 10 community fire stations that we are immensely proud of.

The buildings, most of which are two storey, have a modern design – they are light and airy, and consequently have a welcoming feel. Unlike the former stations, the new buildings are fully DDA compliant and car parking has been provided for staff as well as the public.

The facilities have been future-proofed, with particular consideration given to the number of bays provided to account for the movement and/or purchase of additional appliances in the future. They have also been designed to the highest environmental standards and recycled rainwater feeds the sprinkler units, which are fitted as standard in all of the stations. This supports both our commitment to sustainability and our drive towards the increased use of sprinkler systems in businesses and homes built in the future.

All of the stations have obviously been designed with community facilities and this is what has made these buildings into much more than just fire stations. As well as the community rooms, the larger stations have partnership areas, facilities for making refreshments, break out areas and even fitness equipment that can be used by supervised groups, as well as by the fire-fighters. The community and operational areas are seamlessly integrated, with visitors making a beeline for the viewing platforms over the appliance bays every time the alarms ring to alert the crews of an incident.

In order to further progress the community aspect of the new stations, a Community Interest Company (CIC) has been formed. The concept formed part of Fire Support's initial proposal, and was one of the reasons that we found the consortium's bid attractive. The CIC has the sole and dedicated purpose of promoting community safety across Staffordshire, and a board has been set up to oversee the company.

The community facilities are proving hugely successful, with stations that opened earlier this year already attracting up to 70 bookings per month, far exceeding our expectations. The facilities are free, primarily for non-profit making organisations and groups to use, and the bookings we are taking range from partner organisations, through to charities and small local clubs. A lot of the groups have no obvious connection to the fire and rescue service; however, the facilities are about improving the lives of local people and working together as a community – all of which can ultimately assist us in keeping people safe.

In addition to the room bookings, we have service-level agreements with partners allowing them to hot desk in our partnership areas. We are also able to run a lot more of our own community sessions and events. Like never before, we are able to engage and educate the community in a positive and interactive way.
These community fire stations are undoubtedly leading the way in the UK fire and rescue service – as acknowledged by Fire Minister Bob Neill MP, who on a recent visit stated that Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service are at the vanguard of leadership. This investment programme has made a huge difference to developing our capacity to deliver improved safety and contribute to the wellbeing of our communities in the 21st Century and beyond.

Our PFI project has proved an exemplar in delivering a real innovative strategy in the true spirit of partnership with the private sector and in line with both the previous and current government's vision, on time, within budget and to the highest possible quality. However, the journey does not end now – in fact it is just the beginning for a second project. Our proven business case has meant that we have been successful in securing a further £50m
PFI credits. The preferred bidder will be announced in early 2012 and by 2015 we will have 11 more community fire stations, taking us another step closer to making Staffordshire the safest place to be.


Peter Dartford
Chief Fire Officer
Chief Executive
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service