Turf Cut On Wrexham’s Ambulance & Fire Services Resource Centre

A turf-cutting ceremony to mark the construction of a new Ambulance and Fire Services Resource Centre (AFSRC) took place in Wrexham this morning.

The new facility which will be built on land south of the Wrexham Maelor Hospital has had an investment of more than £15 million from the Welsh Ambulance Service and North Wales fire and Rescue Service. The facility on Croesnewydd Road will replace the existing fire station on Bradley Road in Wrexham, and the existing ambulance stations in Chirk and Wrexham.

Project leaders were joined at the turf-cutting today by Minister for Health and Social Services Mark Drakeford and Wrexham AM Lesley Griffiths.

Wrexham AM Ms Griffiths welcomed the facility, stating: “It is exciting to see such an innovative development being constructed in Wrexham. This investment is certainly welcome and the new, modern and upgraded facility will ultimately enable the emergency departments to provide a better, more efficient service for local citizens.”

When completed the new centre will include an eight-bay fire station, a six-bay ambulance station, communal kitchens and locker rooms and top-of-the-range training facilities.

The fire accommodation includes a local community safety office, an eight-bay garage, gymnasium, state-of-the-art training house and drill tower with a road traffic collision training area. Facilities like the rest room, dining room, communal kitchen, main office, locker room, meeting and training rooms will be shared by both services.

It is hoped the AFSRC will be completed by January 2016.

Mick Giannasi, Chairman of the Welsh Ambulance Service, said: “A lot of hard work and preparation has gone into this project from the partnership, so we’re delighted that the construction phase has finally begun. The development will provide the modern, improved and upgraded services that our crews deserve.

“Along with this is, of course, the added bonus of being co-located with emergency service colleagues with whom we already have a close working relationship and attend many incidents together.”