New Fire Training Center In Putnam County Receives State Grants

PUTNAM COUNTY, NY — Putnam County has received $300,000 in state funding for its new fire training center.

The new center, on Gipsy Trail Road in Carmel, will be utilized by fire departments from all municipalities with the county, as well as the surrounding region. The old one had been barely used since the tower was deemed unsafe more than 10 years ago and the burn facility had been repeatedly closed due to ongoing costly repairs. SEE: Putnam To Replace Decrepit Fire Training Center

The price tag for the new Fire Training Center is more than $1 million. State Sen. Pete Harckham secured $300,000 for the project through from New York's Community Resiliency, Economic Sustainability, and Technology program.

Along with Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne, Harckham toured the site of the training center project Aug. 28 and received a progress report.

"This facility will be crucial in providing our firefighters and first responders with the necessary resources to effectively train and protect our communities," Byrne said. "It’s a prime example of County government leading the way in shared services, strengthening our agencies and local volunteer efforts without adding to their budgets. This investment underscores Putnam County’s commitment to the safety and preparedness of those who protect us every day."

The demolition of the old training center’s burn building and fire training tower took place recently, and the entire project is expected to be completed this fall.

“Providing our first responders with the tools and resources they need is a top priority of mine,” said Harckham. “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. This was a crucial investment, and I’m pleased I could provide needed support to Putnam County while also easing the burden on local taxpayers.”

Initially, Putnam County was set to renovate the old Fire Training Center, its buildings unusable or offering only restricted use for over 10 years because of safety conditions, which caused county firefighting trainees and firefighters to travel to other departments for essential training. But the old center’s buildings and structures, training tower included, were exposed to many years of fire, smoke, water and extreme temperatures over its course of service, leaving them so deteriorated that new constructions were necessary.

The new Fire Training Center will be constructed with modular units that will comprise a new burn simulator building and fire tower after a concrete foundation is poured. The mask confidence building and classroom / administration building onsite may receive additions as well in the future.

Most of the funding has come from the county's American Rescue Plan Act dollars that had been previously committed to a county radio project. The administration secured other grant funding for the first responder radio update project and were able to move that money to this, with additional funding coming from several grant opportunities, spokesman Chris Formisano told Patch.

The awarded State Senate’s CREST grants are administered by the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) to support community and economic development.