Public Safety decided yesterday evening to temporarily close the Fire Academy and have recruits and instructors self-quarantine.

This decision was made out of an abundance of caution after an instructor began to exhibit symptoms. No one tested positive for Coronavirus, and none of the recruits are showing symptoms.

Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire officials created and followed a thorough Coronavirus plan for the academy. All personnel were subject to health screens before entry to the facility, social distancing and mask use was mandatory, and hand sanitizer was used throughout the day, in addition to numerous other safety measures. Plus, the entire facility was thoroughly cleaned daily.

As Public Safety First Responders, we understand that it is impossible to entirely eliminate risk from our jobs or training. But we are confident in the steps we have taken to minimize risk. We will work with City Medical Director Dr. Ronald Roth to resume training as soon as it is deemed safe to do so.