PITTSBURGH — 11 investigates has learned that the heat in the city of Pittsburgh Police and Fire Training Academy on Washington Blvd in the East End has been out since before November.
Instructors and recruits dealt with a cold snap late last year, and now they’re dealing with another blast of cold weather. Police and fire officials at the academy are now taking matters into their own hands, we’ve learned.
11 Investigates went to City Councilman Anthony Coghill, who oversees public safety.
He was unaware that the heat had been out for at least several months, and he said it’s a bad look for new recruits.
“Now, here we are going into January, the dog days of winter. Welcome to the city of Pittsburgh. You know what, they don’t deserve that. They deserve better,” Coghill said.
In order to stay warm, fire and police instructors set up electric space heaters in offices and the restroom.
There’s also a torpedo heater powered by propane in a hallway.
“It’s completely unacceptable. Rick, you know we are not taking care of our own house, we are not taking care of our own facilities. And it’s going to be major, major costs for us in the future. I don’t know what that’s going to cost us out there, but that needs fixed right away,” Coghill said.
In November, 11 Investigates first exposed issues at other city facilities.
At the City-County Building, several elevators have been out of service for months. 11 Investigates found paint peeling, huge holes in the walls, and broken toilets and urinals.
At the City Municipal Court building, just around the corner, 11 Investigates discovered fountains with standing water and mold, holes in the walls, and offices with no heat.
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“We’ve been neglecting our facilities for a long, long time. We see the deplorable conditions that our workers have to deal with, and our visitors, so yeah, it’s embarrassing and it makes me ashamed to be a council person, it does,” Coghill said.
11 Investigates spoke with some fire inspectors and they said that the propane tank setup they are using should not be used indoors, and they said fire officials should know better.
In an email statement, city officials said they are in the process of fixing the boiler, but called it a complex installation. It should be done in a couple weeks.
The previous administration under Mayor Bill Peduto had planned to build a brand new police and fire training academy at the site of the old VA Hospital just across the street from the current training academy.
The city purchased the land from the federal government for $1, but the Gainey administration pulled the funding from the budget.
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