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In an announcement on Thursday, Aug. 29, New York State Sen. Pete Harckham revealed that $300,000 that he helped secure would be put toward the new Putnam County Fire Training Center, which is now under construction on Gipsy Trail Road (Route 41) in Carmel.
The grants will come from the Senate's Community Resiliency, Economic Sustainability, and Technology (CREST) program and will go toward the training center's more than $1 million total cost, according to Harckham's office.
The new Fire Training Center will replace the old facility, which was deemed unusable after over a decade of use and exposure to fire, smoke, water, and extreme temperatures over its course of service.
Because the old facility had deteriorated, county firefighting trainees and firefighters have had to travel to other departments for essential training. However, the new training center will be used by departments not only in Putnam but across the region, officials said.
The new facility will be built with modular units that will comprise a burn simulator building and fire tower once a concrete foundation is poured. Additionally, the mask confidence building and classroom building may receive additions.
So far, the old training center's burn building and fire training tower have been demolished. The rest of the construction is expected to be completed in Fall 2024.
"Providing our first responders with the tools and resources they need is a top priority of mine," Harckham said, adding, "Knowing exactly what to do in a fire emergency saves lives and property, and that’s why holding real-life training opportunities at this center makes a difference for hundreds of first responders."
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