Dräger has developed a bespoke smoke extraction system for Kent Fire and Rescue’s new training facility, enabling realistic, safer firefighter training with reduced environmental impact
Dräger, the specialist in medical and safety technology, has designed a custom-built smoke extraction system for Kent Fire and Rescue’s (KFRS) new five-storey, live training facility.
The new training facility is designed to ensure the fire service can deliver realistic training while minimising the polluting impact on the environment.
The Ashford-based site is replacing the 30-year-old Live Fire Training building which was nearing the end of its operational life. The redevelopment at Ashford includes a live fire training building that accommodates lessons, including scenarios developed from the challenges faced by firefighters during the 2017 Grenfell tragedy, and other tall building fire incidents. It is due to open in 2026.
The design features three burn floors, with eight carbonaceous burn rooms, and a further two floors dedicated to training using synthetic smoke. The various internal layouts provide commercial, residential and industrial settings, offering a variety of training scenarios.
Dräger’s innovative design comprises a specialist extraction system that collects and filters smoke from the building and then emits the cleaned air into the atmosphere via a chimney. In the event of an emergency during training, fire personnel can activate the emergency system which then extracts at a rate which will provide total visibility within 90 seconds, enabling a timely intervention or extrication.
The system provides a vital function in supporting the health of firefighters, other KFRS employees on site and those in the immediate vicinity during training. It will also support KFRS in its commitment to provide improvements and help it to meet its target of carbon neutrality by 2030.
Dräger has also collaborated with KFRS in designing bespoke fire cribs that house materials for live burns, and which have been adapted to suit the size and requirements of the new facility.
