11 Investigates: Pittsburgh police & fire training academy has been without heat for months

Pittsburgh: So, it turns out the police and fire training academy in Pittsburgh has been freezing for months. Can you believe it? The heat’s been out since before November, and instructors and recruits are really feeling it, especially with the cold weather hitting again.

City Councilman Anthony Coghill, who’s in charge of public safety, had no idea about the heat situation. He said it’s not a good look for the new recruits. I mean, who wants to train in the cold? He mentioned, “Welcome to the city of Pittsburgh. They deserve better.”

To stay warm, the instructors have been using electric space heaters in the offices and even in the restroom. They’ve got a propane torpedo heater in the hallway too. But honestly, that’s just not safe. Coghill called it completely unacceptable and said we’re not taking care of our facilities. He’s worried about the costs of fixing this mess down the line.

This isn’t the first time 11 Investigates has uncovered issues with city facilities. They found elevators out of service for months at the City-County Building, along with peeling paint and broken toilets. It’s a real shame.

Coghill expressed his embarrassment over the state of the facilities, saying it’s been neglected for too long. Fire inspectors even mentioned that the propane setup shouldn’t be used indoors. Yikes!

City officials say they’re working on fixing the boiler, but it’s a complex job. They expect it to be done in a couple of weeks. There was a plan to build a new training academy across the street, but the current administration pulled the funding. What a mess!