The Lehighton Fire Department said it has been successful in recruiting new members, but lacks adequate training facilities for those young recruits.

Two members of the department appealed to Lehighton Borough Council on Monday for help to construct a new three-story training tower.

The cost of the project is estimated to be $318,649.70, with the firefighters providing some of the labor.

The council took no formal action on the request, agreeing to advance the matter to the Finance Committee to determine if funds are available.

The fire department at one time had use of a three-story, concrete training tower at Baer Memorial Park in Lehighton. It was built in the 1960s and razed in July 2014 after the structure was condemned because of rust on the interior metal staircase, cracks in the masonry and roof joists in poor condition.

Since then, the volunteer firefighters have been training on the site of the former Lehighton sewage treatment plant off Route 443.

Representing the fire department at the council meeting were Steve Ebbert, committee chairperson, and Assistant Fire Chief Mike Mriss.

Ebbert, who served as the spokesman, said if a tower is built it would be erected on the old sewer plant site.

Three key advantages for having a tower, said Ebbert, are:

• The experience of pulling charged hose to the upper stories of a building.

• Practice of entering and exiting a building from a ladder.

• Practice removing victims from upper floors of a building.

Ebbert said the conception of a new training building is not a new one. He said it was included in the fire department’s long-range strategic planning, with an initial goal for its completion by 2025. He said constructing it sooner could be less expensive than waiting until next year or later.

He told the council that the combination of new Insurance Services Office safety standards will be changing soon, so approving the building now will grandfather it into the present status. which will result in cost savings.

In addition, having such a facility locally could affect fire insurance rates in the community.

The proposed building would have a burn room on the second floor. It would be set up so that the first floor could simulate basement fires.

The roof is specially designed so ventilation techniques can be practiced without damage to the building.

Ladder rescues, hose evolution and equipment placement are among the many things that could be done in the building.

Ebbert suggested the price of the building might be even lower if purchased through the borough’s general service agreement.

The building would have a warranty of 15 years.

The council was informed by Ebbert that members of the department have been visiting other fire training locations, including Emmaus, to learn more about the types of training buildings. He said some towns with such facilities charge a fee for use by outside fire departments.

Council member Lisa Perry suggested that if approval for the structure does occur, that the borough might recoup some of the expense by charging such a fee to other departments for use of the structure.

Ebbert said he recommends that such rental use only occur if a certified instructor is present.

Perry also questioned why the fire department doesn’t merely use the new training facilities being erected by the county in Nesquehoning.

A $6 million fire training project is being erected near the Carbon County Correctional Facility and is expected to be completed by next fall.

Ebbert said firefighters receive 16 hours of training per month. He said it would be difficult to have the firefighters travel to Nesquehoning on a regular basis for such lengthy training. In addition, it would be hard on the fire apparatus taking it to that site so often.

Whenever Lehighton would train in Nesquehoning, Ebbert said, other fire departments such as Franklin Township would have to be placed on standby status to handle emergencies in the borough.

One other concern of Ebbert is that many fire departments train on Monday nights, meaning that it would be impractical for so many departments doing drills at the same time in Nesquehoning.

Ebbert said he endorses the Nesquehoning site.

“In our mind, it’s going to be a great facility that our firefighters will use periodically,” he said.

Mriss interjected that the Nesquehoning location will be ideal for state certification training.

Having a site in Lehighton “would give us a lot more time with fire scene scenarios,” Ebbert said.

Council member Donald Rehrig said as a firefighter, he recalled training at the old Lehighton training tower. He said he feels that training was very beneficial.

“Now it’s time the younger ones receive that same type of training,” he said.

Ebbert said the fire department wants to keep the younger members who have joined, and feels that having such a facility would be an incentive for them.

Councilman Ryan Saunders told the firefighters, “I don’t think you have anybody not in favor of it. It’s just a question of where we get the money.”