The NSW RFS State Training Academy in Dubbo is not a conventional office with a fixed number of people arriving at the same desks each morning.

It is a statewide training facility used by NSW Rural Fire Service volunteers and staff, with residential accommodation, classrooms, practical training areas, catering facilities and shared spaces. The number of people on site changes with the training calendar, events and multi-agency use.

That creates a different coffee requirement to 'the usual' office coffee supply. The equipment must be easy for new users, capable of handling concentrated demand during break times, and be supported by a supply arrangement that can increase when the Academy is busy. Coffee Bean Roasting House supplies and supports the equipment used across the Academy’s cafeteria and recreation spaces, together with the coffee, drinking chocolate, chai and cleaning products needed to keep it operating.

 

 

A statewide facility with changing coffee demand

The NSW RFS Training Academy officially opened in Dubbo in July 2019. It was developed to give NSW RFS volunteers and staff a dedicated place to build the skills and knowledge required when responding to emergencies across the state.

The Academy includes an auditorium, lecture theatre, classrooms, indoor and outdoor practical training areas, a gym, catering services and a commercial kitchen. Its residential facilities were developed to provide up to 97 bedrooms for people travelling to Dubbo. The site is also available for other emergency services and multi-agency collaboration.

Those details matter when planning coffee service. Demand is not determined only by permanent staff numbers. A course, event or training intake can bring a much larger group through the cafeteria and common areas. People may be staying on site, starting early and returning to shared facilities during scheduled breaks.

Usage changes with what is happening at the Academy. During busy periods, the site can use more than 100 kilograms of coffee in a month and may reach around 150 kilograms. The setup therefore needs capacity for heavy periods without making everyday operation unnecessarily complicated.

Different machines for two different spaces

Rather than expecting one machine to serve every part of the facility, the Academy uses equipment selected for the way each space operates.

Two Dr Coffee F2 Plus machines in the cafeteria

The Academy purchased two Dr Coffee F2 Plus automatic coffee machines for its cafeteria. The F2 Plus is designed for higher-volume self-service and can prepare fresh-bean coffee and milk drinks while also dispensing soluble products such as chocolate and chai.

Two machines provide practical capacity when groups move through the cafeteria at the same time. They also reduce dependence on a single service point when one machine is being cleaned or requires attention.

Both F2 Plus machines are connected to mains water and waste. A plumber prepared the required outlets, then Coffee Bean Operations Manager Chris completed the machine connections, setup and commissioning. This keeps licensed plumbing work separate from the final coffee-equipment installation and configuration.

A WMF 1100 S in the recreation area

Coffee Bean also provides a WMF 1100 S automatic coffee machine free on loan in the recreation space as part of the ongoing supply relationship.

The WMF operates from its internal water tank rather than a mains connection. It gives the recreation area its own accessible self-service option without requiring another plumbed cafeteria-style installation. It also provides hot chocolate, ensuring people who do not drink coffee have a proper alternative available in the shared space.

Coffee, chocolate and chai from the same setup

The Academy uses both Red Belly Black and Director's Choice. Supplying two established Coffee Bean blends gives the site options for different tastes rather than assuming one roast profile will suit everyone passing through a statewide facility.

Director's Choice is Coffee Bean's darkest blend, with the body and chocolate-and-caramel profile that suits milk-based drinks. Red Belly Black provides a second option across the Academy's coffee service.

The cafeteria F2 Plus machines have powder hoppers for drinking chocolate and chai. Alongside standard coffee drinks, users can select hot chocolate or chai latte, while mochas and dirty chais combine espresso with the relevant powder product.

That variety is useful in a facility serving changing groups. The equipment is not limited to coffee drinkers, and cafeteria staff do not need to manually prepare every non-coffee order.

Training for everyday use, cleaning and maintenance

Automatic machines still require correct daily cleaning, refilling and basic care. If those tasks are inconsistent, drink quality drops and avoidable faults become more likely.

Coffee Bean trained the people responsible for using and looking after the equipment. Cafeteria staff received practical instruction in daily cleaning and maintenance for the F2 Plus machines, including machine prompts, the coffee and milk systems, powder hoppers and when an issue should be referred to Coffee Bean.

The purpose is not to turn staff into technicians. It is to make routine operation clear and give the site a reliable process when something does not look or perform as expected.

Supply that can adjust to the training calendar

The Academy orders according to need rather than receiving a rigid quantity every month. Orders are generally monthly, with fortnightly orders available when training, events or accommodation use increase demand.

This avoids leaving the Academy short during a busy intake or holding unnecessary stock in a quieter period. Coffee Bean adjusts the supply of Red Belly Black, Director's Choice, drinking chocolate, chai and cleaning products around actual requirements.

The coffee is roasted in Dubbo, and the equipment, products and technical relationship are managed through the same regional team. The Academy is not dealing with one distant reseller for its machines and another supplier for its coffee and consumables.

Local technical support when equipment needs attention

Machines working at this volume require scheduled servicing and will occasionally need adjustments or replacement parts. The important question is how the supplier responds when equipment that forms part of daily service is interrupted.

Coffee Bean remains available to the Academy for technical support, including direct assistance by mobile phone where a problem can be assessed or resolved quickly. Servicing is managed to keep the machines maintained, and faults are prioritised because of the number of people who may rely on the cafeteria and recreation equipment.

Across the relationship, machines are generally returned to operation within 48 hours and often within four hours. This is not a blanket promise for every fault, particularly where a specific part must be sourced. It reflects the practical advantage of having a Dubbo-based team that knows the equipment, its installation and the site.

The relationship continues to be supported directly by Operations Manager Chris and General Manager Josh, providing continuity across the equipment history, servicing and changing supply requirements.

A broader supply relationship across the Academy

The RFS Academy, including its training and accommodation areas, also uses spring water supplied by Coffee Bean's sister business, Summer Springs.

For a large facility, coordinating automatic coffee equipment, roasted coffee, other hot-drink products, cleaning supplies and drinking water through related local businesses reduces the need to manage several disconnected suppliers. It also means our teams understand how the broader site operates across training, dining, recreation and accommodation.

What other large workplaces can learn

The RFS Academy demonstrates why machine selection should not be based on staff numbers alone. More useful questions include where people gather, how many drinks may be needed during a short peak, whether each area has plumbing, which non-coffee drinks should be offered and who will manage daily cleaning.

At the RFS Academy, the answer was two plumbed, higher-capacity F2 Plus machines in the cafeteria and a separate tank-fed WMF 1100 S in the recreation space, supported by flexible ordering and local technical service.

The same thinking applies to mines, training centres, schools, dealerships, accommodation providers and large workplaces. The best solution may be several machines serving different purposes, rather than one standard office package placed wherever there happens to be room.

Planning coffee equipment for a large or shared workplace?

Coffee Bean Roasting House supplies automatic coffee machines, freshly roasted coffee, drinking chocolate, chai, cleaning products, installation support, training and ongoing servicing for workplaces across regional NSW.

Tell us about your site, expected peak demand, available plumbing and the drinks you need to provide. We can help you compare a practical equipment and supply arrangement.

Talk to Coffee Bean about your workplace coffee requirements or call 1300 654 001.