Regional Training System

Hub-and-Spoke Training Model

Legislation in 2007 established the Indiana Fire and Public Safety Academy system to meet the training needs of career and volunteer firefighters across the state. Many urban communities have their own training facilities, and the Academy hosts regular trainings to help fill the gaps to reach firefighters across Indiana. Last year, the Academy trained nearly 2,300 people through a full curriculum of fire and hazmat training offerings. Still, many rural communities, most staffed by volunteers, find it difficult to travel to training sites. Additionally, the level of trainings may vary at sites not operated by the Academy.

In 2023, Gov. Eric Holcomb proposed expanding the current regional approach: a state investment of more than $13 million to enhance statewide locations for basic, physical skills firefighter training. The proposal would bring training closer for firefighters across the state while also adding consistency and quality control to basic firefighter training in Indiana.

The initial proposed investment would fund new equipment and 16 new skills training and testing sites, more than doubling the pre-existing number of locations, from 14 to 30. Final site locations for training facilities have not been determined. Although the sites would be owned and maintained by local municipalities, the Indiana Fire and Public Safety Academy would continue to lead fire training from its central location in Plainfield, where it hosts classroom training and soon will add live-burn skills training.

All sites would be outfitted with equipment packages that would include structures and props to allow firefighters to experience live fire behavior at industry-standard levels.

Additional proposed investments include critical personal protective equipment (PPE) and mobile training equipment packages:

• Basic firefighter personal protective equipment for volunteer fire departments: Over a 5-year period, distribute $10 million worth of PPE for volunteer firefighters.
• New mobile training equipment for use in trainings statewide: Replace or add fire training propane trailer, mask confidence trailer and valve sprinkler trailer simulator.