MAHONING COUNTY, Ohio - A major project for Valley firefighters in training is officially complete at MCCTC in Canfield.

The fire training center had one final addition, but now it's ready to go and the school said this will be a huge benefit for the whole region.

"I'm definitely really excited," MCCTC firefighter in training, Michael Gensamer said, "It's a really great area they built. It's got a whole classroom... a lot of new equipment in there. It's definitely going to help a lot in Mahoning County."

The fire training center project has been in the works since 2020, and a new classroom was the final piece.

"This is going to create an area for the whole region to help train and fill that demand," MCCTC Superintendent John Zehentbauer said.

The multi-use facility includes a new space for students to learn material, a storage unit for equipment, and hands-on training in a three-story fire tower to replicate a live blaze.

"We don't have to travel anywhere to get live fire," MCCTC Public Safety Coordinator and Austintown Fire Chief Andy Frost said, "So we can put our firefighters through that building and we can recreate situations they would see out in the field."

It's now safer on campus to practice putting out fires, search and rescue operations and more.

"There's monitoring going on," Chief Frost said, "It's controlled. It's a much safer environment."

Frost said he is confident this addition will recruit more firefighters in the Valley, while local fire departments will also save money since they can utilize this space for training as well.

"Now we're going to be able to bring all those classes here which is going to be a huge saving for the fire department," he said.