SOUTH Derry firm Henry Brothers has completed construction of the new crash, fire and rescue building at RAF Lossiemouth in a £10.7 million scheme is was awarded by Britain's Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO).
Built as part of a wider upgrade programme at the Moray station, the new building allows RAF Lossiemouth's professional in-house firefighters to reach any part of the airfield in under two minutes.
Construction started in August 2021 and is one of many improvements being made at RAF Lossiemouth, future-proofing the Moray station for years to come.
The site has already benefitted from early completion of the resurfaced runways, installation of advanced communications and improved drainage among other enhancements to its operating capability.
David Henry, group managing director at Henry Brothers, said: “We're pleased to be handing over this new crash, fire, and rescue building, modernising the infrastructure and facilities on the RAF Lossiemouth site.
“We have extensive experience working in the defence and blue light sectors, and this project perfectly combined that expertise to create a first-class facility that is fitting for the day-to-day operations and training of the team onsite.”
He added: “We are thrilled to have played such an important role in upgrading RAF Lossiemouth’s site, continuing our close relationship with the DIO and further expanding our portfolio of efficient and advanced builds.”
Now the new facility is in use the Henry team will turn its attention to the demolition of the previous facility, dating back to the 1960s, which is no longer fit for purpose.
Darren Keddie, DIO’s project manager, said: “The developments at RAF Lossiemouth are an example of the great work that is done to improve our infrastructure through investment, to better support our service personnel and armed forces capability in Scotland.
“The new crash, fire and rescue building is a testament to our close working relationship with our RAF colleagues and contractors, enabling us to provide a building that meets their needs and maintain high standards of operational safety.”
George McClelland, fire station manager at RAF Lossiemouth, said: “The new station is a fantastic new facility - a definite improvement on our previous old and tired building. My team are settling in and looking forward to working operationally from the new site which all personnel are delighted with.
“This has been an exciting project to be involved in, one which has been in the planning stage for many, many years and has only been a dream for all previous fire station managers and firefighters.
“We look forward to welcoming Lossiemouth personnel to the new fire station for various training events or anyone who just wishes to view our new facility.”
