Mass. Firefighting Academy receives $435k grant for new mobile training trailer

The federal grant will fund a mobile SCBA training maze to serve recruit and veteran firefighters

September 23, 2024 11:24 AM

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The FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant will provide $435,000 in funding for a trailer-based SCBA Maze prop like this one that will train Massachusetts Firefighting Academy recruits on campus and can travel to serve experienced firefighters at their local fire departments.

Massachusetts Department of Fire Services

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Massachusetts Firefighting Academy instructors use outdated cameras, monitors, and electronics to observe students training in the SCBA Maze. This maze will be replaced with a modern, trailer-based prop thanks to a $435,000 FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant.

Massachusetts Department of Fire Services

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The SCBA Maze permanently installed at the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy’s Stow burn building is nearly 40 years old and will be replaced with a trailer-mounted version through a FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant.

Massachusetts Department of Fire Services

By FireRescue1 Staff

STOW, Mass. — The Massachusetts Firefighting Academy (MFA) has secured nearly $435,000 through FEMA’s FY23 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) to replace its aging Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus Training Maze at the Stow campus. The new mobile trailer-based SCBA maze will allow the academy to offer more flexible, modernized training to recruits and experienced firefighters alike. The current maze, nearly 40 years old, is outdated with damaged cameras and electronics, while the new trailer will feature updated components that enhance safety and training effectiveness.

SCBA mazes are essential training tools that help firefighters practice confined-space navigation, air management, and confidence-building under stress—skills critical for both recruits and veterans. State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine emphasized the maze’s continued importance throughout a firefighter’s career, noting that the new mobile setup will allow training to reach local fire departments across Massachusetts, not just at the academy’s campuses.

“The SCBA Maze is a fundamental fire training prop. It helps users build confidence under stress, manage their air consumption, and operate in a confined space environment.”

State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine

Currently, the MFA has a 32-year-old stationary trailer at the Bridgewater campus and a seven-year-old mobile maze trailer based at the Springfield campus, which traveled to serve over 500 municipal firefighters last year. The new trailer, with an estimated cost of $500,000, will be based in Stow and alternate with an FY20 AFG-funded trailer to extend the longevity of both. The trailer’s ability to travel will make it easier to deliver advanced training across the region, addressing the needs of the Commonwealth’s firefighters.

FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant has been instrumental in upgrading the MFA’s training resources, contributing nearly $4 million over the past decade. Other equipment purchased with this funding includes a forcible entry trailer, a flashover training prop, and a Hazmat leak prop.

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