Blaze training tower planned for Oldbury
A 50ft tall tower, which will be used to train firefighters from across the country in tackling high rise fires, will be built in the Black Country under new plans.
West Midlands Fire Service wants to build the new six-storey building, which will simulate high rise fires at the site of Oldbury Fire Station, close to junction two of the M5.
The facility – the first of its kind in the UK – would also be used by fire services across Europe if plans are approved.
Fire bosses say the training facility is needed to address a deficiency in current firefighter training.
Constructed of metal cabins, the tower would be set on fire up to a maximum of three times a day, seven days a week. Each burn would last around an hour.
Planning documents submitted by Rob Duncan Planning Consultancy state: "A weakness in current firefighter training has been identified and the proposed development will address these issues."
Group commander Nigel Sowden, head of operational training support at West Midlands Fire Service, said: "A fire in a high rise building is one of the most challenging blazes a firefighter can face, especially when it is fanned by the wind, which makes conditions extremely unpredictable.
"The six-storey training facility gives us the opportunity to simulate those sort of conditions."
