Bury Training and Safety Centre

Bury Training and Safety Centre – building state of the art facilities

Work continues at GMFRS’ Training and Safety Centre (TSC) in Bury to further improve the centre, making it one of the best places in the country to deliver operational training.

Once complete the site will feature an 'Incident Command and Leadership Development Academy’, new breathing apparatus and welfare facilities and new external training props.

The project will provide the Service with fully immersive, state-of-the-art facilities to deliver operational and incident command training and development to GMFRS’ fire crews and partners, maintaining the highest standard of competence in the workplace and improving firefighter safety at emergency incidents. 

There will be an increase in office accommodation for staff members working at the site, with an increased number of classrooms which will be sufficient to deliver theoretical training and further opportunities for partnership work.  

The refresh will provide improved welfare facilities with a permanent catering facility on site. There will be a substantial increase in the number of showers, toilets and changing facilities to support GMFRS’ aspiration to reduce contamination of firefighters during and following live fire training, as well as support the provision of enhanced gender-neutral facilities. 

The refurbishment will include the installation of sustainable heating and lighting systems to support Greater Manchester’s target to become a carbon neutral city-region by 2038. This facility will also provide a state-of-the-art, immersive incident command training suite, classrooms, a restaurant and conferencing facilities. 

Enhancement of existing training props will also take place with the provision of a new training yard, training towers, breathing apparatus training, rope rescue training facilities, road traffic collision training area and large animal rescue, as well as developing the existing facilities further with additional access roads to enhance realism. 

Funding was approved for the value of £5m in March 2021 by the Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester for the work, which is expected to be completed in 2022/2023. Different phases of work across the site will be finalised at different points in line with tender agreements. 

The work at TSC in Bury forms part of the wider Estates improvements work outlined in our Fire Plan and 2021/22 Annual Delivery Plan. GMFRS is investing in its buildings to deliver excellent accommodation and facilities with the aim of building a modern fit for the future estate over the next 16 years.