Volunteer firefighters and other first responders in Schuylkill County will have a spacious new place to learn the latest techniques in the county’s second emergency services training facility.

The new center, estimated to cost about $5 million, will be built next to the first one on Firemen’s Road, just off Morea Road, in Frackville.

The county Emergency Operations Center will relocate to the new facility from its offices in Pottsville, said EMA Director John W. Blickley.

Funded in large by grants, the county expects to open construction bids electronically via PennBid on Oct. 21, with a tentative award date of Oct. 28, said county director of real estate and engineer Lisa Mahall.

The contracts will be for general, electrical, plumbing and mechanical.

“We’re hoping to get good numbers,” she said.

The one-story, 14,080 square foot building will include a covered parking area, a business area, a meeting area large enough to hold 182 people, and a garage.

It will feature two 900-square foot training areas, an operations room, a break room, and nine offices.

The facility will be built on grants. County commissioners on Aug. 26 agreed to seek bids for the project, which has been being planned for several years, but delayed due to lack of funding.

Blickley said $2 million is through the Federal Emergency Management Agency Operations Center grant; $1.5 million through the Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program; and another $500,000 through the state Department of Community and Economic Development.

Tamaqua Fire Chief James R. Connely said the new facility is a “good thing.”

He’s grateful that the county’s volunteer firefighters will have roomier and more modern facilities.

“All the firefighters need the education. Instructors are hard to come by,” he said. “And Schuylkill County offers the courses for free.”

Schuylkill County Fire Chiefs Association President Frank J. Zangari is thrilled with the new building.

“Currently, our building only holds 24 students comfortably. The new building will add a 300 person capacity, so we can have larger classes, so we won’t have to go to schools and rent gymnasiums,” he said.

“This will allow us to add larger classes. We just had fire chiefs training on radio communications, and had to run 9-10 classes to get everybody in because our classrooms are so small.”

One section will allow us to do hands-on training inside,” Zangari said.

He said the “new building will be on three acres donated three years ago by the Schuylkill County Economic Development Corporation. It will be adjacent to the fire school grounds,” he said.

Zangari praised Commissioners Chairman Larry J. Padora Jr. and commissioners Gary J. Hess and Barron L. Hetherington for pulling together and rallying resources to make the new school a reality.

It was a team effort by the commissioners, the Emergency Management Agency staff, The Schuylkill County Volunteer Firefighters Association, and SEDCO, EMA Director Blickley said.

“Commissioner Padora worked hard on it. He really pushed for this. He pushed for grants so we didn’t have to use taxpayer money,” Zangari said.

He said an expected $2 million grant after former state Sen. Robert Casey lost his bid for election to another term.

“We can’t wait to see it happen,” Zangari said. “I’m excited. We can’t wait.”