£3 million investment in new training facilities in Perth
A £3 million investment in a state-of-the-art training centre in Perth will strengthen firefighter training and contaminant control.
The project includes a new Compartment Fire Behaviour Training (CFBT) facility, which provides realistic operational training for firefighters and trainees to better understand how fires can rapidly develop, as well as a Contaminants Control Unit (CCU) to reduce firefighter exposure to harmful fire contaminants.
The CFBT will reduce emissions from training activity. It has a unique feature that captures smoke and filters it to ensure fumes produced during fire training are effectively contained, treated, and cleaned before being safely released into the atmosphere, minimising any environmental impact.
The CCU facility helps embed good contaminant control practices throughout firefighter training, supporting measures that aim to reduce potential exposure risks and promote the health, safety and wellbeing of operational personnel.
An opening event took place at Perth Training Centre, situated behind the city’s community fire station, on Tuesday, 8 September, where SFRS welcomed Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Neil Gray, and other stakeholders to a tour of the facilities.
Deputy Assistant Chief Officer Ross Robison is the Head of Training at the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
He said: “We are delighted to be opening these facilities in Perth which will improve the quality of training facilities for our firefighters for many years to come.
“This investment will help frontline crews to build the knowledge, skills and confidence required to respond safely and effectively at operational incidents. It will also reinforce the steps personnel can take to reduce avoidable exposure.
“Firefighter safety is a top priority, and this investment means we are now able to provide firefighters with even more realistic scenarios for tackling fire incidents, but in a more modern and innovative way.”
The project was delivered by Robertson Facilities Management (RFM), which is the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s facilities management partner.
William Heaney, Regional Managing Director – Scotland, RFM, said: “We have developed a strong partnership with SFRS over the years, working closely to understand its local and national needs and optimise its estate.
“This latest high-quality project reflects that trusted working relationship. Our team carefully managed every stage of delivery within an operational site, ensuring the works progressed safely and efficiently with minimal disruption. Service excellence is at the heart of our work, helping SFRS deliver meaningful benefits for the communities it serves.”
The CCU builds on work already undertaken within fire stations across Scotland on decontamination measures.
There has been a separate £3 million investment in PPE, with more than 2,000 extra sets rolled out, including tunics, trousers, gloves and fire hoods that can be accessed by firefighters when required.
SFRS has also implemented further cleaning and storage solutions at fire stations where zones have been set up to prevent spread of contaminants and crews are urged to shower within an hour on their return to the station.
Justice Secretary Neil Gray said: “I was delighted to visit the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s brand new £3 million training facility in Perth. It is essential that firefighters remain fully prepared to safely face all of the challenging incidents they attend and the new centre will ensure firefighters have access to the best training facilities.
“I would take the opportunity to pay tribute to the hard work, dedication and bravery of our firefighters across Scotland to keep people safe.
“The 2026/27 Programme for Government committed to expanding the role of firefighters to deal with the change in incidents being tackled. We are also supporting the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service with almost £436 million this year - an increase of £23.8 million.”