The City Council on Monday approved an application for a $1 million Local Share Account grant that will allow it to build a public safety training center to be used by the Fire and Police departments.

The center would allow firefighters and police to dismantle current educational practices in homes slated for demolition, which create problems with cleanliness and safety, and in churches and schools that limit some educational options.

The grant program does not require a match and is highly competitive, and whether the city receives the money will help determine whether the city will take on the project, officials said.

“This is not a cheap effort,” Fire Chief Adam Free said.

Free said that at the center, firefighters can do rope work, search and rescue activities, and perform rescues from confined spaces and ditches.

Police Chief Joe Merrill said the facility will be adaptable and will allow police to work on building searches, active shooter training and role playing for de-escalation and crisis intervention.

“The possibilities are endless,” Merrill said.

Ideally, the center would be in the city, Free said.

Free suggested that firefighters must stay in the city while on duty, so having them elsewhere could be problematic.

City Councilman Dave Butterbaugh said a training center would help departments train more efficiently and with more flexibility.

It could also help the Police Department with accreditation, an official said.

The Pennsylvania Association of Chiefs of Police launched the accreditation program in 2001, according to the association’s website.

According to the website, accreditation involves establishing a set of standards along with a plan by which departments will attempt to achieve those standards.

According to the website, benefits include: a framework for evaluating departmental practices; reducing litigation risks; better law enforcement, community relations, department accountability, problem solving and community trust; and more open-minded perspectives at both management and lower levels.

Mayor Matt Pacifico said a training center could also lead to an improvement in the city’s Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating, which could help make fire insurance cheaper for residents.

ISO ratings are based on a community’s level of fire protection.

Authorities in the region have also talked about establishing an education center from time to time in recent years.

City officials have some ideas about where such a center would be located, but they did not share those options.

Pacifico said it hasn’t been decided yet whether such a center would be reserved for city employees only.

Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler at 814-949-7038.