A site that will benefit Carbon County emergency responders is taking shape, and a county organization wants to make sure it is funded for years to come.

On Wednesday, representatives from Carbon County, state legislators and the Carbon County Community Foundation met at the new Carbon County Emergency Operations and Training Center, which is currently being constructed, to announce a new fund that will benefit first responders who utilize the training location.

Sharon Alexander, president of the Carbon County Community Foundation, announced that the foundation has created a fund to support the operations.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with the dedicated people who work in the fire, police, emergency medical services and emergency management agencies here in the county,” she said. “This new training center will be an incredible asset to the region and we are happy to be able to provide a way to allow members of the community to contribute to support this important resource.”

The goal of the fund is to raise $100,000 through community efforts to provide necessary support to the site.

Commissioners’ Chairman Wayne Nothstein, who had dreamed of this site for over a decade, supplied the first two donations to the fund - a $2,000 donation from the Carbon County Firemen’s Association and a $500 donation from Nothstein.

“That’s how much I really feel this project is so important,” he said, noting any funds raised would be able to offset training costs, make any repairs in the future and keep the center operational.

Carbon County had been planning this project since 2013 and officially kicked off the project in 2015.

Nothstein said that when completed, the approximately $10 million project will include a 9,500-square-foot, four-story burn tower and training building; as well as a 3,000-square-foot police training facility, which has movable walls to allow for different room configurations for training scenarios.

“From day one, we had all entities involved with this committee, from the county sheriff’s department, police departments, fire departments, EMS and some of our other outside agencies,” Nothstein said.

The county is currently looking at a September completion date for the project.

In addition to Nothstein and Alexander, representatives from the offices of Sens. John Yudichak and David Argall, Congressman Dan Meuser and U.S. Sen. Patrick Toomey; as well as Sheriff Dan Zeigler, spoke about the project.

“We’re very happy and excited to be able to have a building,” Zeigler said. “When we have to get specialized training, we have to leave the county so there is a cost. Resources are out of the county, sometimes for a couple of days at a clip so this is exciting to be able to keep the resources in the county.”

How to contribute

Alexander said there are several ways to contribute to the fund for this center, including by check, over the web, via stock or other real property; charitable distributions through IRAs, annuities or trusts; or as part of a will or estate plan.

All gifts are tax deductible and the fund is a quasi endowment, which means as long as the center exists, the fund will exist.

“Any donations now will help 50 years from now when the next generation of emergency management people are training,” she said.

Donations can be mailed to the Carbon County Community Foundation, P.O. Box 243, Lehighton, PA 18235. Checks should include a note that this donation is to the Carbon EOTC Fund.

Donations can also be made on the foundation’s website at https://cccfoundpa.org/emergency_training_center.

Alexander said for larger donations, or to set up trusts, contact the foundation at 855-545-1311.