RECOM Solutions is set to open a new training academy, as part of a significant investment from the Trafford Park fire protection services firm.

The move is in response to huge growth in demand for its fire protection services, which has seen the firm increase its specialist operatives from five to 30 in the past 18 months, the BusinessDesk.com reproted.

This is in addition to its team of surveyors, contract supervisors and project managers in its fire protection arm. The academy will offer a live environment for training staff in the latest fire protection measures, legislation and products which are new to the market, such as new laws concerning cladding on structures of multiple occupancy, including high rise apartment blocks.

RECOM, a UK-based firm, works with a range of clients, ranging from the residential, to care home, healthcare, commercial, leisure, education, heritage buildings and industrial sectors.

The business is an approved contractor under the UK’s Fire Accreditation Scheme (FIRAS), and director, Jason McKnight, said the academy is due to be launched in the spring ahead of the implementation of the Fire Safety Act in England, which seeks to improve fire safety in multi-occupancy buildings.

McKnight said: “We have positioned ourselves ahead of the field by being able to provide a holistic approach to projects, linked to the new legislation.

“We act in both client side and contractor roles, utilising innovative cloud-based software to ensure clients have up to date relevant information on fire safety. This is the ‘golden thread’ of information that will become a legal requirement for building owners, developers and the like.”

He added: “The new academy will further demonstrate our commitment to retaining our leading market position in the provision of fire safety services.”

RECOM acts as a construction project manager and main contractor in addition to its role as a fire protection and cladding replacement specialist.

“The need for robust fire protection measures in buildings has been brought into sharp focus in recent years, and we are proud to be playing our part in helping to improve building safety and create smart, safe and sustainable places where people thrive, across the North West and beyond,” McKnight added.

The academy will enable RECOM to train and develop new employees and to educate its clients on the importance of fire protection measures within buildings. “We fully expect that the Fire Safety Act will lead to further expansion of our fire protection operations.”