Emergency crews set up joint base

THE joining together of local emergency services has taken a step forward with plans for the first combined fire and ambulance station in Greater Manchester.

The £3.9 million joint project between Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS), the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) and contractor Willmott Dixon is still in the design stage, though work on the Wigan station is expected to begin this year and could lead to more combined stations opening in the region in the future.