Officials gathered at the site of the proposed Carbon County Emergency Operations Center in Nesquehoning to discuss funding and project updates.

State Sen. John Yudichak, D-Luzerne/Carbon; state Rep. Doyle Heffley, R-Carbon, Carbon County Commissioners Wayne Nothstein, Thomas J. Gerhard and William O’Gurek; and Carbon County Emergency Management Director Mark Nalesnik took part in the discussion.

The estimated $14 million project includes the construction of a two-building facility that will provide Carbon County first responders with a drill tower, live fire training sites, a police training facility and classrooms where first responders can receive instruction and training.

Since 2015, the project has received $1,260,619 in state grant funding from the Multimodal Transportation Fund, Monroe County Local Share Account Program, and the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program.

“I have to commend Carbon County for taking a regional approach to give our first responders a facility where they can receive quality training locally,” Yudichak said. “I’m going to continue to fight for funding for this important project that, once completed, will be a valued asset to the people and first responders of Carbon County.”

“This is an important project for all the communities in Carbon County. Just this year, we’ve had many serious fires throughout the county, and we want to make sure that all our volunteers have the best possible resources at their disposal,” Heffley said. “I believe that’s what this project will do.”

The facility will house the Carbon County Emergency Management Agency and will also provide vehicle and emergency apparatus parking garages. A stormwater management system will also be constructed on site. The water collected from the system will then be used for live fire training exercises.

“The goal right now is to have the access road project, which is the widening of the road to the Emergency Operations Center completed by the end of this year and then the burn building and police training facility completed by the end of 2019,” Nothstein said.