A FIRE station that also houses other emergency services has officially been opened in Theale.
Last year, firefighters from Dee Road in Tilehurst, and neighbouring Pangbourne station moved into the new facility, the third such shared space in the county.
The state-of the-art facility is right by the A4 Bath Road, and close to the M4, making it ideal for tackling emergencies quickly.
The large station offers improved training and welfare facilities for staff, helping to support the workforce of modern public services.
The building has been carefully designed to promote an inclusive working environment for a range of staff from across the fire and rescue service and partner agencies, while providing the flexibility of function that is required in the modern era.
Included in the designs are welfare and physical training areas to support the functional fitness requirements, as well as built-in operational features to support the health and safety of fire crews, such as designated decontamination zones and improved facilities for breathing apparatus equipment to be cleaned.
Planning permission for the new station was granted in August 2018, for a site previously owned by Network Rail. The groundbreaking took place in January 2020, with topping out in March 2021.
And last October, the process of relocating fleet equipment, IT facilities and staff from Dee Road was completed, and Theale Community Fire Station became fully operational.
Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service said a key consideration in the build was to protect the environment and make the building energy efficient. This includes solar panels, a greywater recycling system and electric vehicle charging points.
More than 900 ground cover plants and 1,500 native woodland trees and shrubs have been planted.
On Thursday, October 20, the new station was officially opened James Puxley, the Lord-Lieutenant for the Royal County of Berkshire in a ceremony that had been delayed by covid.
The ribbon cutting was watched by mayors, special guests and Evan Rose, who created artwork on display in the station’s lobby.
Among those making speeches were Cllr Paul Gittings, the chair of the Royal Berkshire Fire Authority; Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley Matthew Barber; Kirsten Willis-Drewett, Head of Operations South Central Ambulance Service; and Wayne Bowcock, Chief Fire Officer Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service.
Wayne Bowcock, Chief Fire Officer Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service, said the new facility was a fantastic milestone and he felt proud to showcase it during the official opening.
“We talk about one team for Berkshire – it’s an internal motto we use among staff, I think this is the culmination of many, many years work that demonstrates one team both across the Fire Authority and the partners we’ve worked with and, most importantly, the staff who worked tirelessly to createwhat is a really fantastic facility that will stand here for decades to come.”
He felt that, with the site being operational for a year already, the data they had showed that although the Dee Road teams had moved further out of Reading, they had better coverage due to their closeness to the A4 and the M4.
“Overall response times improve and we have a better footprint to come from,” he said. “We’re now able to support Newbury more quickly, and this fire station covers a much larger footprint than it used to, and we’ve been able to maintain our response standards.
“We thought that would be the case, now we’ve got the evidence to back it up.”
However, Mr Bowcock was uncertain about whether more such stations could be built in the future.
“It’s no surprise tp people that public sector finances are facing some difficult times. Our bills are going up like everybody else’s,” he said. “There’s more pressure of the Fire and Rescue Service’s budgets and we’re working extremely hard to to increase those budgets by looking internally to ensure we make every pound count, and we spend the money we’ve got as wisely as possible.
“Ultimately we have no more money for large capital builds like this.”
Instead, he said, there might be scope for joint ventures and partnerships, which could provide a new station.
“We have to think innovatively and look at different opportunities to continue this journey,” he explained.
Cllr Gittings, who is also from Reading Borough Council, said this had been a project that had been delivered on time and on budget, despite complications caused by covid. The ceremony was an opportunity to thank and celebrate all those who had helped make it happen, as well as celebrating the work of the station since it had opened.
“During the summer heatwave, it was incredibly busy and really proved its worth,” he said. “It can strike into Reading very quickly and also to more rural areas in West Berkshire, and react to road traffic accidents.
“It’s brilliantly placed and already has shown its worth. It’s a celebration and long overdue, and it’s great that people have come together to recognise that.”
Angus Ross is now a retired Wokingham borough councillor who was instrumental in the creation of the tri-service plans and was thrilled to join others celebrating the new station.
“It’s been a long journey for all sorts of reasons,” he said. “But what we’ve got here is a great benefit to the community.
“At the beginning of this, we weren’t certain as to what co-operation we’d manage to achieve with the other blue light services, but now to see it operating, it’s all worthwhile.”
Among those who know the value is Matthew Barber, the police and crime commissioner, who said the Theale station was in a more central location, which was yielding dividends for the force.
“We’re seeing better response times dealing with the emergencies that people are calling us about,” he said. “It also allows some greater opportunities for training, shared services and it saves money for the public purse while delivering better emergency services.”
He added the station helped his focus on delivering community policing.
“I want to ensure as many officers can egt to the frontline to deliver that preventative community policing that we need,” he explained. “This includes making sure our neighbourhood team that is based here is able to properly serve their community.”
And Kirsten Willis-Drewett, head of operations at South Central Ambulance Service said: “We’re delighted that Theale Community Fire Station will bring even closer working relationships between local ambulance, fire and rescue and police services.
“The three emergency services have, of course, always worked closely together during incidents and through community events.
“In addition to this, all three emergency services will take part in joint training exercises and share expertise in a number of areas, whether this be rescue or casualty care.”
