The site of the future Schuylkill County Emergency Services Training Center in Frackville bristles with rebar.

Bright copper wiring snakes from an underground conduit, and stacks of boards lie under white plastic sheeting.By the time construction wraps up at the end of August, the three-story, 7,000 square foot concrete training center will resemble a double block row home with an attached garage, said Eric Eichenberg of the Schuylkill County Firefighters Association.The new center will be used to train firefighters, emergency medical workers, police and prison personnel.On Wednesday, firefighters and state and local officials donned white hard hats and wielded gold-painted shovels in a ceremonial groundbreaking for the $1.4 million project at 125 Firemens Road.“It’s been three years in the works. It took a lot to get to this point, and we appreciate everybody’s help who put their effort into it,” said David Sattizahn, president of the Schuylkill County Volunteer Firefighters Association.Funding the centerA few hours earlier, Schuylkill commissioners made good on their August vow to contribute $500,000 over 10 years to the project by increasing the 3 percent hotel room rental excise tax by an additional 2 percent to help offset the cost of the building.Bleenies, spaghetti and pancakes are helping build the center; firefighters have raised about $600,000 for the project.Now, they are asking people to donate.Donations may be sent to Fidelity Trust and Wealth Management, in care of Jim O’Brien, 254 Sunbury St., Minersville, PA 17954.Green’s Communication Foundation has pledged a “significant” amount for the training center, Commissioners’ Chairman George F. Halcovage Jr. said.He spoke of the center’s role in making sure all emergency responders are secure in the knowledge that the person working on either side of them is well-trained.“These are volunteers that put themselves in harm’s way for the safety of our community,” he said.“This touches 67 municipalities across the county,” said Commissioner Gary J. Hess.The center’s training, he said “will not only keep our public safe, but also to keep our firefighters safe. We want to make sure you go home to your families. We can’t thank you enough.”Commissioner Frank J. Staudenmeier recalled attending the ribbon cutting for the previous training center 22 years ago as a PPL representative.He said he’s proud to again be part of something to benefit the county’s volunteer firefighters.“We stepped up to the plate,” he said.Boon to emergency respondersFrank Zangari Jr., president of the Schuylkill County Fire Chief’s Association and Girardville fire chief, said the training center would draw more people who now have to travel to Lewistown for training.“They just don’t want to (travel). They don’t want to leave their families,” he said. “This multidisciplinary facility will allow everybody to train together — fire, EMS, police, prisons. We can do it all together. We don’t have to drive to other facilities.“And being 100 percent volunteer in Schuylkill County, it’s so exciting to be able to say we’ve mastered something we never believed we could have done,” Zangari said.Those participating in the groundbreaking included state Sen. David G. Argall; state Reps. Jerry Knowles, Neal P. Goodman and Mike Tobash; Schuylkill County Emergency Management Agency coordinator John Matz; and William F. Hanley, Senior Economic Development Specialist for Congressman Matthew Cartwright.“This will be remembered as the place where people learned how to save lives,” Goodman said.Tom Slane Sr., chairman of the Schuylkill Firefighters Association Financial Development Organization board, introduced the members:Schuylkill Economic Development Corporation President Frank J. Zukas; Noble C. “Bud” Quandel, chairman of Quandel Consultants and chairman and chief executive of Quandel Enterprises; Jim O’Brien of Fidelity Bank; Richard J. Wiest of Williams, Friedberg & Jones; Tamaqua councilman Micah J. Gursky; Hanley; Eric Eichenberg; Dr. Tom Boran; former Congressman Tim Holden; Zangari; Matz; John Kohr; Art Connely; Mike Kitsock; and Sattizahn.The new training center replaces one built for $750,000 in 1990, but was declared unsafe and closed in 2013. That building was razed last year.