Carbon says bids for proposed training center are nearly ready

Carbon County continues to move closer to breaking ground on a proposed training center for firefighters, police and EMS.

At their regular meeting on Thursday, the county commissioners provided an update on the proposed $3.5 million emergency operations and training facility.

Commissioners’ Chairman Wayne Nothstein said that the bid specifications for site work on the project are nearly ready. That includes all ground leveling, tree removal, storm sewers and underground conduits.

He said the commissioners could vote to seek bids for the work at their meeting next week. If that holds true, they anticipate awarding the bids by the end of February.

The actual construction of the training center will be bid separately from the site work. Nothstein said the commissioners are still developing the specifications for that phase of the project with input from the Carbon County Fire Chiefs’ Association.

“Hopefully as soon as the weather breaks, we’ll be ready to start the site work, while we finalize the bid specs on the next phase,” he said.

The county has assembled more than $1 million in grants for the project.

In October, the county planning commission recommended approval for the project. The plans they reviewed include a 1,600-square-foot law enforcement training building, 400-square-foot observation tower, 1,820-square-foot firefighter training building, a 924-square-foot fire training tower, storage building, burn pad and vehicle extrication area, and other concrete pads for storage and utilities, as well as two parking areas with 69 parking spots.

Last year a contractor widened Emergency Lane, the road accessing the site. That project cost the county about $800,000.