BRYANS ROAD, Md. — A new two-story training facility built from two 40-foot shipping containers is on the way for Bryans Road Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad Inc., promising to give firefighters on Charles County’s west side a realistic, affordable place to drill closer to home.
The department announced the project in a letter of information dated Aug. 27, 2025, presented during the Sept. 25 Charles County Board of Fire and Rescue meeting.
The container structure will not include live-fire burns and is not intended to replace or provide Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute (MFRI) certification training.
Instead, it will give volunteers a place to practice stair climbs, upper-floor rescues, firefighter-down and search-and-rescue drills, and simulated smoke-filled scenarios to keep their skills sharp between official trainings — all without leaving their coverage area.
Currently, the only container-style facility in the county is at the La Plata training site about 13 miles away, which often forces west-side volunteers to arrange coverage from neighboring companies when they travel for practice.
The containers will be stacked to simulate a two-story home and fitted with doors, windows and partition walls to create realistic layouts for rescue scenarios. The new site will be set up in the rear parking lot near the station’s training pad and will be open for coordinated drills with nearby volunteer companies and possibly the Naval Support Facility Indian Head base fire department.
To save money, Bryans Road VFD has invested about $5,000 to purchase two certified watertight containers coming from Baltimore. Officials said a comparable commercial fire-training unit — like the custom-built tower used by Bay District VFD in St. Mary’s County — can cost around $100,000.
The project has been endorsed by the membership and Board of Directors and is expected to be ready by spring 2026 — or sooner, depending on the pace of volunteer members who are handling the outfitting work themselves.
Follow Bryans Road VFD to stay updated on project progress, training photos and other news at brvfd.com and facebook.com/brvfdrs.
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