Jul 25, 2025 By Mike Jones 5 min read

One by one last weekend, Washington firefighters began stacking commercial shipping containers onto one another in the first steps to create a new training center that will offer the department a chance to practice and drill right in the city.

Construction started with the firefighters fabricating a structure – with the help of Allegheny Crane – designed to replicate a two-story house, with more phases to come at the former Ramage Field in the city’s Tylerdale neighborhood that will offer them a versatile and affordable training option.

“The city of Washington has always had challenges with internal training just being an inner-city department with a lack of area and resources,” Washington fire Chief Chris Richer said. “We don’t have close access to facilities, and being a professional department, we can’t just go out of the city and leave the residents unprotected.”

Over the past two years, the department formed a training ground committee and began searching for a location in the city, although there were few options with so little undeveloped land available. But Ramage Field, which sits along Meadow Avenue just behind the Dog House Diner on Jefferson Avenue, had not been used for athletics in nearly two decades with it being in a flood plain. The property had been donated to Washington a century ago with the understanding it would not be developed and always be of “service to the city,” opening the door for the department, Richer said.

“Could we put it to good use and use it as a municipal training facility?” Richer said of the department’s thought process. “Utilize the land. Utilize this field. It’s a wasted piece of property. Let’s put it to use.”

City leaders approved of the project, with the caveat that any costs would not come from the department’s budget, prompting firefighters to solicit donations, sponsorships and grants. In addition, Richer said they found a cost-effective solution by using shipping containers as the models for the structures since they can be rearranged in different configurations that will have multiple phases with various styles of buildings, including ones that will mimic a storefront and another that will have the interior like a school classroom.

While the shipping containers might appear to be an unusual option for training, Richer said it’s a fraction of the cost that it would be to build a permanent structure – which could not be done at Ramage Field due to possible flooding – or even a pre-fabricated building, which could cost nearly $1 million. Instead, the first phase’s “two-story house” the firefighters are building – which eventually will be painted and made to look more like a residence – will end up costing only about $20,000 that was funded with a state emergency management grant.

“The new trend in fire service is to take these shipping containers – there’s an overabundance of them at a low cost – and utilize them,” Richer said, noting they can replicate different rooms and even narrow staircases inside. “We can stack them together and fabricate these boxes to replicate single-family dwellings.”

Most importantly, though, is the location inside the city, meaning the 21 professional firefighters won’t have to leave the municipality while training, unlike in the past when they would have to travel to the fire grounds in Chartiers Township to practice operations. That means they can drill during shifts and are available to respond on a moment’s notice.

“This allows on-duty personnel to train, to drill and to practice the every day skillsets we need for the city while in its boundaries,” he said while praising the department’s firefighters for their dedication to making this project happen.

Richer said the new training also wouldn’t be possible without the support of City Council, along with Mayor Jojo Burgess and former mayor Scott Putnam. City officials formally approved use of Ramage Field last year, setting the stage for the department to move forward.

“They’ve been extremely supportive of public safety. They really see the need, not just for (the fire department) but as a municipal facility,” Richer said, adding that the police department could one day use it for training as well.

And the fire department isn’t done yet. A model built to 1/64 scale shows four different structures that will be erected at Ramage Field, along with paved areas and other improvements.

Until then, the initial phase will be celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony within the next month to showcase the new training grounds, while also thanking those who have contributed and giving people a glimpse of how the project will look once it’s completed.

The department is soliciting donations for funds and construction materials, along with offering sponsorship opportunities to businesses that want to get involved. Those interested in contributing can call Richer directly at 724-223-4227 to find out ways to help.

“Having the personnel that desire to be the best in Pennsylvania, this is a big step forward. We plan to bring training (sessions) into this and host classes (for other departments),” Richer said. “The potential is endless here and there’s no shortage of people who want to help. We’re really looking to make it a community project.”[

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