Published: March 26, 2009 11:51 pm      

City firefighters training site may get boost

Many local sports teams have specialized facilities where they train for the next big game.

So Johnstown fire Chief Anthony Kovacic has for years been asking a simple but important question: Why are his professional firefighters training in abandoned buildings or in the street?

City officials now are closer than ever to resolving that problem, having applied for a $100,000 state grant that would help fund a new, four-story fire-training building in Johnstown.

And officials have identified some parcels of land that could host that facility.

“We’re pretty excited about this,” Kovacic said. “Hopefully, we can get the rest of the funding in line.”

Cambria County already has a well-developed, heavily used training site for firefighters in the Patton area.

Kovacic said that facility is “great.”

But geography is an issue: His firefighters train when they’re on duty, and they can’t respond to emergency calls in Johnstown when they’re polishing their skills in Patton.

So city firefighters have made use of blighted, abandoned properties in the city.

“We find out what’s set for demolition, and then we go into these facilities that are unsafe for habitation (in which) to train,” Kovacic said.

That can present safety hazards. And Kovacic noted that new regulations are making it more difficult to use such structures.

Aside from those issues, the chief said, the need for a dedicated training site is clear due to the fact that Johns-town’s firefighters train daily.

Officials have detailed plans for a structure that would alleviate those concerns.

While rugged and basic in design, the building would present opportunities to practice all types of firefighting and rescue situations, including the use of high-angle rescue techniques.

“This will give us a safe facility, and it will give us the opportunity to use things like aerial apparatus that often are impractical in a residential area,” Kovacic said.

He added that a Johnstown training site also could be used by city police and by other area fire companies.

There is no intent, Kovacic said, to compete with the Patton fire school.

“This will enhance what is available in the county,” he said.

The $100,000 grant, if approved, would provide about half the money needed to build the training structure.

“We’re just going to wait and see,” Kovacic said. “But it’s looking favorable that we’re going to get some money.”

Officials still would have to raise a significant amount of cash. And they must find suitable land, a task that might be made easier by Johnstown Redevelopment Authority.

Authority official Debbie Walter said there may be some parcels available near the former Bethlehem Steel Corp. Lower Works complex.

“We’ve been working with (the fire department) to show them some sites, and we will make every effort to accommodate their needs,” Walter said.