Crofton replaces Cambridgeshire Fire Training Towers after 60 years

Sixty years after it designed, fabricated and constructed its first ever fire training tower in Linton, Cambridgeshire in 1958, Crofton Engineering has replaced the original structure with a new updated version.
Featuring three drill faces and an extended top frame to improve safety, new type FT66 3-storey towers have replaced older FT55 models at Linton and several other fire stations across the region.
Over a six-month period, Crofton has demolished and removed the old towers, completing groundworks and erecting new steel structures at the different sites.
This includes the construction of fresh foundations at sites which required them, while fixing steel transfer frames to existing foundations and erecting new towers at others.
The sites which benefited from the replacements were, Linton, Cottenham, Chatteris, Sawston, Gamlingay, Whittlesey, Littleport, Thorney, Kimbolton, Sawtry and Soham.
Located in the Cambridgeshire Village of Linton, Crofton has worked closely with the community including the fire service, having designed and built its first fire training tower five years after the company formed in 1953.
Maurice Moore, Property Manager, Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue Service, said: “We have always had an excellent working relationship with Crofton that has enabled us to ensure our staff has training facilities of the highest standards.
“We have found that design, fabrication and installation have always been carried out to the standards appropriate for a quality Fire and Rescue Service. Their contribution to the local community is also worthy of note and has helped us at times to provide fire cover.”
Research carried out by Crofton Engineering into the requirements for the training of fire officers has produced models designed to conform to current guidance on safety in drill towers, while maintaining the basic needs to provide a practical training facility.
Glen Godfrey, Director of Crofton Engineering, commented: “Crofton Engineering has very close links with the Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue Service from our earliest days.
“We developed our first tower design with the help of our local fire service, and their input over the years has helped us establish a reputation for providing a range of high-quality training buildings for emergency service use.”
The company’s wide range of towers are employed in over 400 fire stations throughout the UK and internationally, designed for constant use over many years.
Crofton towers can also provide mounting facilities for telecommunication aerials, abseiling, rope rescue practice or virtually any other adaption that may be required.
www.crofton-eng.co.uk