Members of the Carbon County Community Foundation toured all four floors — and even the roof — of the burn tower building at the Carbon County Emergency Operations and Training Center in Nesquehoning.

County Commissioner Wayne Nothstein led the recent tour, which also included a stop to where active shooter drills and other training is held.

The facility opened in the fall 2022, but commissioners had begun discussing the need for a training center as early as 2008.

At that time, the county had a facility in Lehighton. But due to a failing infrastructure, it would be condemned in 2013.

“The county commissioners saw the need at that time to move forward with this project,” Nothstein said. “One of the things that is happening now is the state has proposed legislation which states that to be going into a building burning — not that any chief would do that now because it’s a liability and we don’t want anybody hurt or getting killed — they are pushing now that if you do allow someone to go into a burning building without being certified, you could be fined $1,000 or you could be imprisoned.”

Nothstein said the center will begin offering certification training in the near future.

Instructors will teach how to lay hose, operate pumps, conduct search and rescue, use ropes and more.

“So this gives us the opportunity. We don’t send doctors into the operating room unless they are thoroughly trained,” Nothstein said. “Same thing: We don’t send somebody who is untrained into a burning building.”

Nothstein said that the center provided almost 5,000 hours of training to police, firefighters and emergency medical responders in 2023.

And this year, the county began renting the facility for training and classes.

It’s hoped that the center will help grow the number of emergency service personnel.

“Firefighting is not for everyone,” Nothstein said. “You have to be dedicated. You have to have compassion. You have to be a caring person. You have to be a hard worker. It’s not for everyone and unfortunately we lose people.”

The 9,500-square-foot fire training structure was built to simulate a variety of emergency scenarios. There are four burn rooms, some of which are outfitted with furniture to mimic homes. The towers allow for training in high-angle rescue and laddering.

A sprinkler simulator room helps train on sprinklers, while a slanted roof can be used to show how to vent a burning building.

Cameras, including thermal imaging cameras, capture the training and conditions.

“There are speakers to pump in noise, and cameras record footage that can be brought back to critique what they did right and wrong,” Nothstein said.

The 3,000-square-foot police training facility has movable walls to allow for different room configurations for training scenarios.

The $10 million center hadn’t even opened when the Carbon County Community Foundation launched an effort to support its operations. The fund was established with a gift from the Carbon County Fireman’s Association and Nothstein.

The fund supports the training center and volunteers through grants for utility expenses, equipment purchases, repairs and upgrades; training expenses, instructor fees and materials; and building repairs and maintenance.

To donate, send contributions to the Carbon County Community Foundation, P.O. Box 243, Lehighton, PA, 18235; or visit https://cccfoundpa.org/emergency_training_center/.

For other options, contact the foundation at 855-545-1311 or info@cccfoundpa.org.