Carbon County is hoping to secure $350,000 to widen a road leading into the proposed multiuse fire training facility in Nesquehoning.

On Thursday, the commissioners authorized the filing of an MTF grant application through the Commonwealth Finance Authority in the amount of $350,345.A $150,000 match would be required by the county.Commissioners' Chairman Wayne Nothstein said that this would be part of phase one of the estimated $10 million project.The project, once completed, will provide fire departments with live fire training sites, a drill tower and other training necessities, as well as give police, county departments and EMS services classroom and training options that normally are completed in other counties. The emergency operations/Emergency Management Agency would be moving into the new building to help oversee the secure site.The project will be located on the ground surrounding the Emergency Management Agency/911 Communications Center.The conceptual design plans call for widening the current road to the Emergency Management Agency/911 Communications Center to allow for additional traffic to the two new sites; constructing an approximate 3.8-acre fire training facility with a training building and drill areas and a two-story multiuse building that would be the new house of the EMA and Emergency Operations Center, as well as classrooms, meeting areas, vehicle and apparatus parking garages; and a stormwater management facility that would recycle water that is collected as available water for live fire training.The county began the project in February, when it announced that approximately 12 undeveloped acres in the Emergency Management complex will be used for the new training facility.Since then, the county asked for municipality and emergency services support to strengthen grant applications, which Delta Development, the company hired to find funding sources, has identified.In June, the commissioners approved an agreement with architect Steven J. Elton of Bethlehem for the fire and emergency services training facility project.The costs associated with Elton's services are $280,125 for the emergency operations/training center; $43,000 for the fire and police training tower and burn building; and $9,200 for the observation building.In other matters, the commissioners approved program year 2015's Workforce Investment Area financial agreements with Monroe and Pike counties for services related to employment and training, which Carbon administers. Monroe's payment shall not exceed $1,376,129; and Pike's will be $436,032.