Page 8 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2026 Healey-Driscoll Administration Expands Firefighter Survival Training with New Mobile SCBA Maze S TOW—The Massachusetts Department of Fire Services (DFS) today announced the expansion of firefighter survival training at the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy (MFA) with the addition of a new mobile self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) training maze. The new training system will increase access to realistic, hands-on instruction for recruit and veteran municipal firefighters across the Commonwealth. “One of DFS’s most important responsibilities is ensuring firefighters across Massachusetts have access Advanced Fire Skills Program Coordinator Al Beardsley stands in the new SCBA Maze Trailer’s control room, which features a digital audio and video feed from multiple cameras inside the training area. Instructors can communicate with trainees and control lights and sound at all times. The new SCBA Maze Trailer replaces a 40-year-old permanent installation with obsolete electronics, seen here, that has exceeded its useful lifespan. to the highest-quality training possible,” said Public Safety and Security Secretary Gina Kwon. “That means continually investing in modern equipment and training environments that reflect the dangerous and unpredictable conditions firefighters face in the field. Better training builds more confident, better prepared firefighters, and better prepared firefighters help make communities across Massachusetts safer.” The new mobile training maze expands the MFA’s ability to deliver firefighter survival training both on campus and directly to local fire departments. Combined with the Academy’s existing mobile training resources, it will increase access to realistic, hands-on SCBA training for recruits and experienced firefighters alike. The unit also replaces the Academy’s original Stow-based SCBA maze, ensuring this critical training remains available for years to come. This year, DFS marks 30 years of training Massachusetts firefighters through the MFA. Since 1996, the Academy has prepared thousands of firefighters for the challenges of the job while con
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