MFB Training College Craigieburn

About

The Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) is building a specialised emergency services learning and training facility in Craigieburn, which will ensure a safer and more capable MFB and the ongoing protection of the Victorian community.

Located in Melbourne’s City of Hume, the new $109 million facility will strengthen MFB’s position as a leader within the emergency services industry through the adoption and promotion of new technologies and the development of new training initiatives.

MFB recognises that growing community expectations require an increase in the capacity and nature of fire and emergency service training. The facility’s design has a fundamental focus on ‘practical training’, flexibility, innovation and technology.

This facility will also be available as a resource for other emergency service organisations (ESOs) to supplement their own training programs.

The facility will comprise both academic and practical learning environments (PLE). The academic building will provide classroom-based learning, while the PLE allows practical exercises to be undertaken within a safe and controlled environment. The PLE will comprise a number of structures (props) laid out within a streetscape urban environment, which is unique in that it has been designed specifically to mimic the Metropolitan Fire District.

The design of the PLE fundamentally focuses on realistic practical training that simulates real life emergency scenarios encountered by MFB and other ESOs and provides environments which include elements of fire, smoke, sounds and other physical and psychological challenges.

The facility will attract, engage and inspire visitors, trainers, candidates and staff, leading to improved training and more effective learning environments

When complete, the facility will be MFB’s primary training facility, part of a network of training facilities across the State.

MFB has appointed FIDUN as its client advisor and Major Projects Victoria to project manage the facility’s delivery. Award-winning architect Woods Bagot will lead the design team and HAAGEN has been engaged as the fire-training specialist to support the design team and deliver the specialised fire training equipment and services. Leighton Contractors has been awarded the contract to construct the facility.

FeaturesThe facility will incorporate:

• an academic building comprising offices, classrooms, meeting rooms, mess, change room facilities and a gymnasium

• a drill yard and fire station

• a practical learning environment that re-creates a number of emergency scenarios in a typical Melbourne urban landscape including:

- compartmentalised fire behaviour environment

- high rise building

- urban search and rescue

- petrol station

- retail environment

- residential neighbourhood

- road and rail tunnel

- tram stop

- traffic intersection

- industrial environment

- petrochemical plant

- ship and marine environment.

Environmental benefitsThe facility will utilise ecologically sustainable development initiatives in accordance with best practice, including:

• minimising reliance on water resources through a site-wide water management system which:

- captures, treats and recycles all water used in training exercises within the practical learning environment

- harvests and recycles roof rainwater for re-use

- utilises water efficient fittings and fixtures

- captures water from showers and basins in the academic building for treatment and re-use in toilet flushing and irrigation

• minimising reliance on energy resources including:

- use of insulation, double glazing and solar orientation

- use of solar panels for energy re-use

- use of solar-boosted hot water systems

• protection of the surrounding environment from emissions through:

- capturing all water used in training exercises to minimise run-off

- utilisation of clean burning propane gas in most exercises

- capturing and treating smoke generated from the one carbonaceous fire exercise though the use of thermal oxidizers.

Leighton Contractors will also employ a number of environmental initiatives to minimise adverse environmental impacts during construction.

Community benefitsThis new emergency services training facility will enable MFB to respond to increasingly complex situations and ensure that all MFB firefighters acquire the skills expected by the community and State Government.

This new facility provides an opportunity to meet demands for increased emergency service training capacity for all ESOs, and will form part of a network of training facilities across the State.

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Image legend1 Academic building

2 Drill yard

3 Practical learning environment

4 Facilities management area

For more informationVisit mfb.vic.gov.au or scan this QR code

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Facts and figures• 12 training props incorporating

49 fire points

• 5,800 square metres of office and classrooms

• Up to 130 candidates and 90 staff/trainers to occupy the facility at peak periods

• 40 solar panels which can generate 70,000 kw/hr of energy a year

• Capacity to recycle up to approximately 150 megalitres of water each year*

* Figure based on the assumption that the facility is running at full occupancy with seven props and the drill yard being used once every half an hour over an eight hour day, five days a week.

For further information, please contact:MFB Project Team office for general enquiries (03) 9665 9884

MFB Media and Communications for media enquiries (03) 9665 4699

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