Carbon seeks grant extensions for fire center

Plans for the multiuse fire training facility in Nesquehoning are moving forward.

Last week, the Carbon County Commissioners made several requests for grant extensions for the estimated $10 million project on the Broad Mountain, next to the Emergency Management Agency, 911 communications center and county prison.

The extension requests are for a $200,000 Local Share Account grant and a $485,619 Multimodal grant the county received for the Emergency Lane widening phase of the project. If approved by the state, the grants will extend to June 30, 2020.

Additionally, the commissioners ratified the execution and submission of a Local Share Account grant agreement in the amount of $200,000 for phase 1B of the project. That part includes the construction of the fire training tower and police training building.

Carbon County has started the project, awarding the Emergency Lane widening phase to Bruce George Paving in June after the company submitted the low bid of $811,869.85.

Work was supposed to begin this summer, but the wet summer delayed the project until December.

Crews are now working to clear the area to widen the road from 11 feet to 22 feet. Phase 1A is expected to be completed by May 31.

Commissioners’ Chairman Wayne Nothstein said the next phase of the project is also moving along.

“We’re working on finalizing plans to be able to go out to bid,” he said. “We’re getting there.”

The commissioners are working to finance the project mostly through grants and are waiting to hear on two grants that will secure the remainder of funds needed for the project.

“We’re a step or two away from having all the funding we need,” Commissioner William O’Gurek said, pointing out that the biggest piece of the puzzle is a Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant application that is being reviewed by the state.

The county expects to hear about that grant and another Local Share Account grant in the near future.

The multiuse fire training facility, once completed, will provide fire departments with live fire training sites and a drill tower and other training necessities, as well as give police, county departments and EMS classroom and training options that normally are completed in other counties.

In a related matter, Nothstein voiced the need for the training facility because of a recent report that the state released on the crisis Pennsylvania is facing with the lower numbers of volunteer emergency responders.

He pointed out that in Carbon County, there are only a handful of volunteer ambulance corps left, which means longer wait times in emergencies when minutes may separate the chance of living or dying; and that some volunteer fire companies are considering consolidating or even closing because of the lack of volunteers.

“It’s becoming a major issue and this is more reason to pursue a training facility such as this,” he said, adding that these volunteers are required to stay up-to-date on training and fundraising, which takes them away from their families. “That makes it even more important that we do whatever we can for the volunteers now.”

The training facility will provide volunteers with a local site to train at rather than being forced to travel outside of the county for mandated training sessions.