CONSTRUCTION of Wrexham's brand new Ambulance and Fire Services Resource Centre (AFSRC) has beencompleted.

The Welsh Ambulance Service and North Wales Fire and Rescue Service have jointly invested more than £15 million in the purpose-built facility, which includes an eight-bay fire station, a six-bay ambulance station and top-of-the-range
training facilities.

The centre on Croesnewydd Road will replace the existing fire station on Bradley Road in Wrexham, and the existing ambulance stations in Chirk and Wrexham.

Staff will begin to operate out of the AFSRC in April once kit and furniture has been moved in.

Sonia Thompson, the Welsh Ambulance Service's Head of Operations in North Wales, said: "This project has been years in the pipeline, so we're thrilled that the building is now complete.

"The AFSRC means crews finally get the facilities they deserve and ultimately it will mean a better service for the people of Wrexham and Chirk.

"There's also the bonus of being co-located with emergency service colleagues
with whom we already have a close working relationship and attend many
incidents together."

Gary Brandrick, Senior Professional and Service Standards Manager for North
Wales Fire and Rescue Service, added: "We're delighted that this exciting
facility has been completed - the AFSRC will deliver both improved facilities
for our staff and a better service for the public in the area.

"Operating from one base will allow greater co-ordination when it comes to
responding to incidents and will make the best use of resources for both of our
organisations."

Permission for the two-storey facility on land near Wrexham Maelor Hospital was granted by Wrexham Council's planning committee in May 2014, and
a Full Business Case was later approved by Welsh Government.

The ambulance accommodation incorporates a fleet workshop, make ready facility, a six bay garage, offices for fleet staff and management, debrief room and a deployment base for response staff.

Crews will start their shift at the AFSRC then will move to strategically located deployment points across Wrexham and Chirk, where the Trust data predicts the next 999 call will come from.

Newly-recruited fleet assistants will clean vehicles after use, enabling clinicians to spend more time face-to-face with patients delivering better care for the area.

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.

Construction of the AFSRC was carried out by BAM Construction.

Ian Greener, BAM's Construction Manager, said: "The scheme has been a long time coming but the final result is a fantastic new facility that has required a lot
of ingenuity for BAM to create.

"I hope that these striking new facilities will serve the area for many years
to come and be a fitting centre of operations for the personnel of the fire and
ambulance services."