Major fire service training centre to be finished in Tipperary by 2028
Plans include a learning and development centre, fire behaviour training rig and a vehicle workshop
Plans for a major new fire service training campus in Nenagh have moved a step closer with the publication of tender documents seeking to appoint a design team for the project.
Tipperary County Council has invited consultants to tender for a €400,000 contract, for the design of a new Learning and Development Centre which will provide training for firefighters from across Tipperary and further afield, with the facility also expected to support the training needs of fire services nationwide.
The proposed development will comprise a three-building campus, at the heart of which will be a purpose-built Learning and Development Centre featuring lecture rooms, training spaces, changing facilities, drying rooms, instructor offices and meeting rooms. The building will also include dedicated office accommodation for the Local Authority Services National Training Group (LASNTG), the national body responsible for the administration of fire service training in Ireland.
Plans also include a fully enclosed Breathing Apparatus and Compartment Fire Behaviour (BA-CFB) training rig, where firefighters will be able to undertake live fire behaviour training, breathing apparatus exercises and smoke management in a controlled environment.
The training rig will occupy a purpose-built concrete platform measuring approximately 33 metres by 25 metres and will be capable of withstanding repeated exposure to high temperatures, large volumes of water and intensive training exercises.
A third building will provide a dedicated vehicle workshop where brigade mechanics will be able to service and maintain fire appliances and equipment. The workshop will be large enough to accommodate two fire engines at the same time and will include a vehicle service pit, truck lift, stores and office accommodation.
External works will include parking for up to 26 vehicles, pedestrian access routes, landscaping, external lighting and supporting infrastructure.
According to the project brief, the Learning and Development Centre will support a wide range of training, including breathing apparatus instruction, compartment fire behaviour, hazardous materials response, pumping operations, transport incident response, command and control exercises and QQI-accredited programmes delivered under the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management.
The council has specified that the buildings should have an expected operational lifespan of 40 years and be designed to Nearly Zero Energy Building (NZEB) standards. Sustainability measures will include solar panels to reduce electricity demand together with a standalone backup generator to ensure the facility can continue operating during power outages.
The publication of the tender marks the first formal step in delivering the project.
The successful design team is expected to be appointed later this year, with planning and other statutory consent applications due to be submitted before the end of 2026.
Subject to securing the necessary approvals and funding, detailed design work is expected to conclude during the first quarter of 2027, with construction scheduled to begin towards the end of that year.
The council's current programme envisages the facility being completed and ready for use in early 2028.