LFB Training Venues for New Firefighters

[Slade1890]

Hi All, 

For those who have done their training since STC was closed, where exactly were the training locations. I was told at the assessment centre it would be split between Harrow, Plaistow and Park Royal. Are these at the local fire stations? Or at dedicated training centres (namely Park Royal). 

How did people find it getting to the venues? I can see Plaistow is not really near any tube station and same with Park Royal training centre. 

[Mike]

Plaistow is tricky. I had a motorbike and parked it at the leisure centre just down the road. On the last week they got a bit narked off and started asking questions but let me stay until the end of training. It is a fire station but it’s doubtful if they’ll let you park, we weren’t allowed. The local tube is a bit of a walk away.

Park Royal is a stand alone training centre with no parking. There is an Asda next to it and I think they let you park there now if you sign a book? Again the local tube is a 20 minute or so walk 

Harrow is a fire Station with no parking allowed. There is on street parking available though. The local tube is about a 15 min walk though. 

For Park Royal and Harrow I stayed in an Airbnb. 10 minutes walk for me at both locations.

[Firestorm]

I'm soon to be back at Harrow. Mikey is correct, there's no parking on station but plenty of free parking on local roads, the tube is 10  ins walk. want to know more? Ask away.

[Slade1890]

Thanks both. Harrow for me isn't too bad via the tube its Plaistow and Park Royal (I'm in bucks) and trying to figure out the best way to get there (if i can pass my hearing test resit)  

[Firestorm]

If you get in, pop over and say hi.

I'm the WM on the reds.

[Keith]

How come the training venues have no parking, was this something to do with a green initiative to discourage use of cars? Compare this to shopping centres or even new build housing which have to include a certain amount of parking places to get planning permission.

[WayneHealey]

The tube station for Park Royal is about a 10 minute walk, so no biggy.  We still used satellite venues back in the day when we had STC, I did my ladders and pumps training at Erith, everything else at STC.  There may be a number of courses doing their training at (fire service college) Moreton to accommodate the amount of recruits we’ll be putting through, if so then that will be residential I’d expect.  Harrow is a lovely station and plenty of people have come through there.  It doesn’t really matter where you are, get your head down and work hard, we’ve all had to travel large distances, and definitely go say hi to the red watch Guv’nor... ?    

[Jet]

Something along those lines Keith! When training was at Southwark, no one complained about parking. It was a stone's throw away from a multitude of train and tube stations and was very centrally located. Given that new venues are located in industrial park type areas, there really is no excuse for lack of parking. My old WM was sent to Beckton on an Easter Sunday! Literally no other reasonable way there on public other than the Docklands Light Railway, which funnily enough wasn't running that day.

Whenever I travelled to Park Royal for a course I was allowed to park my motorbike there.

[Slade1890]

Don’t get me wrong will travel anywhere if given the opportunity to do the dream job. Just wondered how people found it getting to these places via public transport. If I need to drive then that’s an option too. 

Moreton would be interesting but haven’t heard that mentioned by anyone during the different stages. 

And for sure will be saying hello to anyone on here that I come across for sure 

[Carefree]

Those of us who did our training at Southwark didn’t realise at the time how lucky we were.  One central training venue minutes from more than one tube station.  Let’s also not forget the history of the place, something new recruits have missed out on.  I know I keep banging on about it but I find it a real shame.

Pumps and ladders gave us a 2 week break from Southwark whereby we were sent to certain fire stations like Erith or Shadwell, and we did 2 weeks residential for BA at Moreton in Marsh Fire Service College.  Apart from that, everything else was at Southwark.

If I was a recruit now I’d either get a cheap room (or roomshare) or work out with military precision all my public transport options.  I wouldn’t drive, parking is non existent at training venues and it appears to be a ball ache parking anywhere nearby.

[Desserts]

It's not just recruits the can not park at the training venues, serving FF and managers can't park there either.

It's all about working within TFL guide lines on the environment and using public transport

[Keith]

Why I'm I coming over all Jeremy Clarkson.

[Firestorm]

What ever floats you boat Keith.

The problem with my venue was that in the initial early stages of the contract, firefighters would call us beforehand and we'd do our best to sort a space for them. Then droves of people would just turn up and dump their car in the yard without asking. It got to a stage were people actually blocked in our specials (which deployed via the yard) and we couldn't move them. People began to assume that parking in our yard was a god given right, even at the expense of the on duty watch.

[Slade1890]

Seen a few people mention that on the grapevine some recruit courses may be sub-contracted out (guess Babcock are being penalised for not being able to deal with the demand quick enough). Heard people mention Moreton as a potential venue. Wouldn't it be amazing if the subcontractor could do the training at STC... one can only dream sadly haha

[OscarTango]

Or IFTC.....in Teeside (seriously I shouldn't tempt fate).

[JonFromTheLFB]

Imagine the irony if LFB tendered for that training contract so the courses contracted to Babcock were subcontracted to... London Fire Brigade! 

I say that tongue in cheek... But stranger things have happened! 

[Firestorm]

Great idea if it wasn't for the fact that we don't have any training venues or trainers.

[Br9mp81]

17 hours ago, JonFromTheLFB said:

Imagine the irony if LFB tendered for that training contract so the courses contracted to Babcock were subcontracted to... London Fire Brigade! 

I say that tongue in cheek... But stranger things have happened! 

IIRC, the MOD contracted out a contract to the makers of a AFV, who then subbed it to the  MODs own ABRO and still made profit, ABRO carried out the work that the MOD took off them in an effort to close the workshops and cut the staff.

Back on topic, i was told years back that if MOD CTE Manston shut there was the idea that Kent and LFB would have looked at it.

[Becile]

Not quite enough acronyms there..!

Imho...lol?

[Carl]

You....will....never.....beat @Becile on full...stops......though...... 

[OscarTango]

What order are the venues? As in where do you start and how long are you at each of them for?

Doing some massive gun jumping and seeing what the air bnb's are like for PR/Harrow....

[Firestorm]

I'm not sure of the order, though you will finish at Harrow TC.

[Mike]

(If it’s still the same as 2016)

Plaistow for 6 weeks, IEC, pumps and ladders 

Park Royal for 3, Rtc, hazmat, high ex foam and BA

Harrow for 2, guidelines and LFB validation tests

[Lumie]

Whacking this on for any new recruits looking. This is correct as of April 2018 Recruitment:

• Harrow Training Centre: weeks 1- 2
• Plaistow Training Centre: week 3-6
• Park Royal Training Centre: weeks 7 - 9
• Harrow Training Centre: weeks 10 - 11

[Joke1698]

So this evening I received a call with my course date.

• 2 Weeks at Park Royal
• 8 Weeks at the Fire Service College (Residential) 
• 1 week at Harrow.