New hub for blue light services officially opened in south Cumbria
Report by Fiona Marley Paterson
Emergency services have a new base in the south of Cumbria, which has been officially opened.
The Furness Peninsular Blue Light Hub in Ulverston is an emergency response centre used by Cumbria Constabulary, Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, the North West Ambulance Service and British Transport Police.
It has cost seven million pounds and means personnel from all of the emergency services are working and training under one roof.
This means police will have a greater presence in some of the smaller communities in the county and can get to calls faster. It is also hoped personnel will also be able to form closer relationships.
As well as shared office accommodation, the hub includes operational facilities like a breathing apparatus workshop, drying room for fire fighters’ PPE and equipment storage, a fire house for training, a bay for two fire engines and an ambulance and a conference room.
The hub has cost £7m and the new hub building links to an access road from the A590 to Ulverston’s Beehive Business Park. For firefighters, the hub replaces the Ulverston's fire station at The Ellers.
John Beard, the chief fire office for Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, said:
The opening ceremony was scheduled for March but had to be postponed because of Covid-19 restrictions.
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