A newly built extension has enabled Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) firefighters to further improve the fire and emergency prevention, protection and response for residents of the Ascot area.
Although crews have been operating out of Ascot Fire Station 24/7 since April 2015, previously they had returned to Bracknell Fire Station at night, as up until now there were no sleeping facilities at Ascot. The new building work has enabled a remotely managed arrangement to be put in place, similar to the tried and tested model at Slough and Windsor Fire Stations. The new extension has enabled Ascot firefighters to streamline day-to-day duties. It also allows crews to be right where they need to be – in the heart of the community.
Historically, Ascot has been an on-call, or retained fire station, since it was built around 35 years ago. The work on a single storey extension at Ascot Fire Station is now complete and allows the duty crew to stay at the fire station for their entire shift.
Royal Berkshire Fire Authority Members visited Ascot Fire Station on Monday, 15 August, to see the new facilities and speak with the crews about the new development.
Chairman of Royal Berkshire Fire Authority, Councillor Colin Dudley, said: “The new extension is a fantastic addition to Ascot Fire Station. It is a great development for RBFRS, following in the steps of our other remotely managed fire station in Windsor. I am delighted to see this excellent new facility in operational use.”
Area Manager for the East of Berkshire at RBFRS, Dave Myers, said: “I am pleased that Ascot Fire Station’s building work is now complete. The addition of the single storey extension to this remotely managed station has further improved the fire and rescue cover that RBFRS can provide to local residents, as well as improving the crews daily duties on station.”