The long-awaited building project of the Lehighton Fire Department is nearly complete and this week firefighters were given a tour of their new digs.

Accompanying them were members of Lehighton Borough Council, other borough officials, and members of Lehigh Fire Co. No. 1, which is the social quarters of the fire department which contributed generously to the cost of the project.Fire Chief Gary Frable looked over the spaciousness of the firehouse additions, the meeting rooms, the adequate space for gear, the showers, and the kitchen."It's a long-time coming," Frable said. "Only one thing is missing and that's John Kuller."Kuller is Frable's predecessor as fire chief who spearheaded the drive to have the addition to the firehouse built. He died unexpectedly on April 22, 2011.Frable said, "This was his baby," referring to Kuller.He added, "The fire company can enjoy it for years to come. I thank everyone involved."Assistant Fire Chief Patrick Mriss said a dedication is a project for next fall. He said there is still work to be done and some fund raising will have to occur before such things as the kitchen are completed. The reason for the work is because the fire company cut back on its specifications to keep the project within a predetermined budget.The new addition is located between and connects the Lehigh Fire Company No. 1 building with the Engine Company No. 2 building. The latter is also home to the Lehighton Police Department. The project also included rehabilitation of the two fire stations.Ground for the project was broken on April 11.Steve Ebbert, chairman of the building committee, said the project actually began with the borough's Comprehensive Plan in 1994, which called for the consolidation of the two fire stations. The fire department consolidated its two stations into its long range plan in 1998.The project cost over $2 million with most of the funding coming from state grants.Fire company officials said also vital to having the project become reality was the financial contribution of Lehigh Fire Company No. 1.Some houses were purchased by Lehigh Fire Co. No. 1 and razed. The property was then turned over to the borough since the fire department legally can't own its own buildings and land.Lehigh Fire Company No. 1 also bought new gear grid storage racks at a cost over $20,000.Steve Ebbert, a lieutenant who headed the building committee, pointed out some of the features of the fire company addition.There are five bays with four of them presently being used to house apparatus. The fifth is being utilized by the building contractor, A. J. Butz Inc.Ebbert noted that the entrance to the station by firefighters is behind the apparatus, which is a safety feature.The new station contains a decontamination shower, although if exposed to hazardous materials, the firefighters would be decontaminated at the emergency scene. The fire station showers help rid the volunteers of soot and other debris they face at fires.There are training facilities for the firefighters. Mriss said the volunteers spend at least two to three hours training every Monday night. The training room doubles as a meeting room.A locker room allows for the storage of a second set of gear or a change of clothing.Captain Michael Mriss showed off a new boat the fire department purchased in August. The 2013 Rescue 1 Connector Boat will be used by the fire department's water rescue team.The rescue team, which includes a dive team, answered about a dozen water rescue calls this year. Many of those rescue calls are from outside the Lehighton area."It's really a nice facility," said Lehighton Borough Council President Grant Hunsicker. "It's something the whole town should be proud of."