The Austin Community College Hays campus expects to complete construction on a parking lot to accommodate the college’s second phase of expansion by October.

ACC Hays’ Phase 2 plan includes a first responders training center, which will be built on 38 acres at a cost of about $22.4 million, according to ACC documents. The project will be built using bond money approved by district voters in 2014.

The first-responders training center will include an indoor firing range, emergency vehicle operation course, emergency situation simulation facility and a swift-water rescue course.

The capacity of the new facility is not yet known, ACC officials said. The ACC District board of trustees hired JT Vaughn Construction as the construction manager at risk for the project.

San Marcos Police Chief Les Stephens said he anticipates the swift-water training course being of particular use within the region and especially to his department.

“We’re fortunate that we’re right here on the San Marcos River, but there are things that you can do and situations you can create in training in those manmade courses that you can’t do in those natural environments,” Stephens said.