THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2026 Page 9 tinually evolving its training programs to reflect new technologies, emerging hazards, and best practices. The addition of the new mobile SCBA training maze builds on that legacy by giving more firefighters the opportunity to train in realistic, high-pressure environments that build the skills and confidence they need to respond safely and effectively when lives are on the line. “The SCBA Training Maze is one of our most frequently requested training tools,” said State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine. “This new mobile unit allows us to deliver critical survival training to more firefighters in more communities while strengthening the MFA’s ability to prepare recruits and veteran firefighters for the dangerous and unpredictable conditions they face. Providing firefighters with realistic training is one of the best investments we can make in their safety and the safety of the communities they serve.” Inside the maze, firefighters navigate dark, confined, and unfamiliar environments while wearing full turnout gear and SCBA. The training is designed to build confidence under stress, improve air management, and reinforce the skills firefighters rely on during searches, rescues, and self-extrication. Last year, the MFA’s Springfield-based mobile SCBA Program Coordinator Dennis Ball of the Massachusetts Firefi ghting Academy’s Special Hazards program surveys the new SCBA Maze Trailer’s interior. The multi-level prop allows fi refi ghters to navigate dark, confi ned, and unfamiliar environments while wearing full turnout gear and self-contained breathing apparatus. maze supported training for more than 500 municipal firefighters. The addition of a second roadworthy mobile unit will expand training opportunities for fire departments across Massachusetts while continuing to support recruit training at the Stow campus. The new mobile maze is one of several investments that have strengthened training at the MFA in recent years, alongside a forcible entry trailer, flashover training prop, search and rescue buildings on the Bridgewater and Springfield campuses, a hazardous materials leak prop, and a Mobile Extraction Unit used to decontaminate firefighting gear. DFS invested approximately $500,000 in the new training system, supported in large part by a $435,000 FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant. The investment reflects DFS’s continued commitment to providing firefighters across Massachusetts with access to realistic, state-of-the-art training. The new SCBA Maze Trailer’s modern lights, speakers, and video monitoring system are powered by an onboard generator, allowing it to be used anywhere local fi re departments need it. The Massachusetts Firefi ghting Academy’s new SCBA Maze Trailer will provide vital fi refi ghter safety training at the MFA’s Stow campus and at local fi re departments. It replaces a 40-year-old permanent installation that is at the end of its useful lifespan.
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