- Allentown has a new training center for firefighters and its first-ever emergency operations center
- The building was dedicated to the late Christopher Kiskeravage, the department’s retired assistant chief for training and South Whitehall’s fire commissioner
- It has not been officially named after him because the department first has to file a petition with the city
ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Allentown Fire Department has a new training center and its first-ever emergency operations center.
Officials from across the Lehigh Valley gathered Thursday for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new Allentown Fire Academy and Emergency Operations Center.
The new center, at 1902 Lehigh St., Allentown, will serve as a training ground for firefighters from Allentown’s department and others in the region and will be the city’s first emergency operations center.
The building was dedicated to Christopher Kiskeravage, the department’s retired assistant chief for training and South Whitehall’s fire commissioner.
Kiskeravage died June 9 after a long bout with cancer. He was 56.
"This is what he believed in."Andrea Kiskeravage, widow of Christopher Kiskeravage
“I wish we were here not doing a dedication today because that would mean that Chris was still with us,” Jeremy Warmkessel, president of the local firefighters union, said at the ceremony.
“But we are. And this was his vision, his goal, and I hope he would be proud of the work that went into it by all the parties involved.”
'Ensuring our firefighters are well-equipped
Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk said Kiskeravage “was driven by his deep sense of care for our community.”
“This center embodies that very care for our employees as human beings by providing top-notch resources for training."Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk
“This center embodies that very care for our employees as human beings by providing top-notch resources for training,” Tuerk said.
"And ensuring that our firefighters are well-equipped to handle any situation that arises as they respond to emergencies.”
Kiskeravage's widow, Andrea, cut the ribbon for the new building.
"This is what he believed in," Andrea Kiskeravage said.
The building has not officially been named after Kiskeravage because the department first has to file a petition with the city.
Fire Chief Efrain Agosto said he will keep the public updated when the petition is made and when the official dedication ceremony is scheduled.
The building’s features
The Allentown Fire Academy and Emergency Operations Center has classroom space that can accommodate up to 100 people and a mixed storage area that can hold equipment, training aids and space for hands-on training.
It also has five offices for the Allentown Fire Department’s administration and two offices for its staff.
It is the city’s first emergency operations center, which is the centralized location of emergency response during disasters.
It will have new technology and media that will keep staff updated with real-time information in emergency situations, Agosto said.
“It's just a necessary resource that we've been lacking for so long… We're just back to where we were."Jeremy Warmkessel, president of the local firefighters union
The city allocated $2.36 million of American Rescue Plan Act funds for the building, and U.S. Rep. Susan Wild secured about $130,000 in federal Community Project Funding for the project.
Warmkessel said the site of the building previously had a training trailer on it, but former Allentown Mayor Edwin Pawlowski removed it when he wanted to sell the land.
Warmkessel said investing in training is necessary to keep firefighters safe.
“It's just a necessary resource that we've been lacking for so long… It's not like we're getting further," he said. "We're just back to where we were."
