Combined fire and ambulance station officially unveiled

The combined fire and ambulance station in Lerwick – the first of its kind in Scotland – was given its official unveiling on Monday.

It follows a major refurbishment last year of the shared building, now called the Lerwick Community Fire and Ambulance Station, following a £350,000 investment from the Scottish Ambulance Service and the Scottish government.

The fire station on the Sea Road site, which originally opened in 2003, remained operational throughout the building work.

Community safety minister, Ash Denham, gave the new building its grand opening.

The layout of the station was developed in consultation with both services with the aim of achieving a modern, integrated and efficient building which can benefits the whole community.

Twenty-four retained personnel from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service based at the site respond to over 200 calls per year.

SFRS chief officer, Martin Blunden, attended the opening.

He said: “This tremendous facility, which serves mainland Shetland and its outer islands, allows both emergency services to plan, prepare and respond in an effective and cohesive way, for both local needs and to operational incidents, to ensure local communities are well protected.

“The benefits are already tangible as we know that joint training over the last year has improved awareness and understanding of each other’s capabilities and protocols. It’s exciting to be in Shetland and to see this project in action.”

Approximately 2,200 calls per year are handled by 18 ambulance staff and four part-time patient transport service personnel who work from Sea Road.

Chief Executive of the Scottish Ambulance Service, Pauline Howie, was also there for the event.

“The new station is the result of considerable hard work and the station has been reconfigured and designed to meet all the Ambulance Service needs.

“It is a significant improvement that supports ongoing operational and clinical skills development and the facilities are of the highest quality and meet all of the stringent NHS hygiene standards.

“This co-location development is part of an investment strategy to upgrade our stations across the country and to support more joined up working between partners. The new station also supports the needs of our staff and patients by delivering the highest standards of clinical care, as well as providing a multipurpose hub for the local community.”