As part of Suffolk’s on-going blue-light collaboration, the two services, together with the East of England Ambulance Service, have been working together and now share response bases in several locations across Suffolk. Designed by Concertus, Woodbridge fire station has been adapted specifically to accommodate fire and police teams in Woodbridge and improve the facilities provided. Sharing property reduces costs and saves money for the taxpayer. The £740,000 shared base includes new office accommodation for the police, much improved facilities for staff, better community facilities for local residents wanting a space to hold meetings, improved access and welfare facilities for staff and the public and a new vehicle bay for the Fire and Rescue Service. The base is designed to accommodate a team of on-call firefighters and their two emergency vehicles and the Police Local Safer Neighbourhood Team. This is the fifth shared community fire and police facility in Suffolk with stations already operating in Ixworth, Elmswell, Debenham and Framlingham. In addition, Ambulance teams are also based at fire stations in Lowestoft and Brandon and plans to share at Bury St Edmunds are now at an advanced stage.
Once again, Suffolk is at the forefront of partnership working. This new joint station follows hard on the heels four other, similar projects, and means that, as well as saving money, we can share resources and work much more closely and effectively across the emergency services. It’s the people of Suffolk who benefit.