Fire stations in Cumbria are benefitting from nearly £1million in improvements.
Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner has invested £970,000 to upgrade six fire stations across the county during the 2025/26 financial year.
Work will take place at stations in Whitehaven, Windermere, Silloth, Grange-over-Sands, Longtown, and Barrow-in-Furness, with a focus on enhancing facilities and improving firefighter safety.
David Allen, Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, said: "Investing in our local fire stations is so important as these are the central hubs for our local firefighters.
"They need to be fit for purpose to allow our frontline staff to respond to emergencies and incidents as quickly and efficiently as possible.
"The smallest changes can make the difference such as modern shower facilities.
"When our firefighters return from jobs, they may have contaminants on their clothes, hair, skin, etc. and need somewhere to clean off quickly.
"Having the right layout and capabilities of a station can have a huge impact on the delivery of service to the public and the wellbeing of our crews."
The upgrades will include new toilet and shower facilities, electrical rewiring, fire alarm installations, locker room refurbishments, and new breathing apparatus washing area.
A key focus of the investment is improving decontamination areas to allow firefighters to remove harmful substances safely after returning from incidents.
Mr Allen said: "Putting People First is a priority in my Police, Fire and Crime Plan and this commitment is at the heart of these upgrades.
"We want our communities to feel supported and valued, ensuring that our buildings will be long-standing and fit-for-purpose for current and future generations of Blue Light responders all with the aim of protecting Cumbria’s safety.
"I look forward to seeing this work continue across the county and how it benefits the crews, communities and our residents."
Temporary Chief Fire Officer Ben Ryder welcomed the improvements, highlighting their impact on firefighter safety and wellbeing.
Mr Ryder said: "By modernising the welfare facilities on our stations we are also making a significant investment in our firefighters’ safety.
"Those efforts to protect our people begin on the fireground, where we have invested in developing the right procedures and providing appropriate cleaning products, but they also extend to our stations, where our firefighters need modern, fit-for-purpose welfare facilities.
"By enhancing our station infrastructure and providing better welfare facilities for our crews to use after an incident we are working towards our vision of making Cumbria a safer place for all – which starts with our people."
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