BY ANDREW FAISON/ CONTRIBUTING WRITER

andrew.faison@tidewaternews.com

 

FRANKLIN—A $199,532 state grant awarded to the City of Franklin will cover the cost of repairing a building used to train firefighters and rescue workers in the region.

“I’d like to congratulate the chief and his staff on their hard work getting this grant,” City Manager Randy Martin said during Monday’s Council meeting.

The building adjacent to Franklin Municipal Airport was constructed for $58,000 in 1985 and taken out of service in August when it was deemed unsafe, said Emergency Services Chief Vince Holt.

“The engineers feel that we will be able to get another 20 years out of the building with the repairs,” Holt said.

The grant from the Virginia Department of Fire Programs is expected to cover the cost.

The building is used by departments from Suffolk, Portsmouth, and Isle of Wight and Southampton counties as well as Franklin firefighters and student firefighters who complete coursework at Paul D. Camp Community College.

“It gives them the chance to be successful in a real fire situation, after they graduate from the Firefighter I and II programs,” Holt said.

Work could begin in early January and be done as early as April.