State Fire Marshal Steve Jones and Indiana Department of Corrections leadership broke ground on a new training site during a ceremony in Plainfield on Oct. 10. At the ceremony, IDHS announced the next phase of the Hub-and-Spoke Training plan, where five new training towers will be built in central and southern Indiana. These sites continue the expansion of state-sponsored locations to help eliminate "training deserts" across Indiana.
The site in Plainfield will be named after Alan W. Burns, the former fire chief of the Madison Township Fire Department. He helped develop young leaders in the fire service and served as the training officer for the Putnamville Correctional Facility until his death in 1998 at 39.
The high-rise training center will have nine stories, each structured to allow firefighters to train in many residential and commercial environments. It will be one of only a few similar training sites across the country. The Plainfield location will serve as the central training site for the ongoing Hub-and-Spoke regional training model developed in the past two years to better serve all parts of Indiana. It will be managed by the Indiana Fire and Public Safety Academy system under the office of the Indiana State Fire Marshal.
The third phase of new facilities to be built:
- Covington (Fountain County)
- Winchester (Randolph County)
- Vincennes (Knox County)
- Seymour (Jackson County)
- Plainfield (Hendricks County)
Hub-and-Spoke Training Model
The Hub-and-Spoke Firefighter Training plan brings training closer for firefighters across the state and adds consistency and quality control to basic firefighter training in Indiana. In 2023, Gov. Eric J. Holcomb and IDHS secured state funding totaling $17.7 million for fire training and equipment. These funds represent the first-ever funding allocated by the General Assembly for firefighter training and equipment.
New Training Facilities
The state is investing $7.7 million in new training sites. The goal is to provide high-quality, physical training structures within 30 miles or 45 minutes of all career and volunteer departments. The new sites will join over a dozen sites already utilized for state firefighter training.
As part of the third phase of training center expansion, new facilities will be constructed in Covington (Fountain County), Winchester (Randolph County), Vincennes (Knox County), Seymour (Jackson County) and Plainfield (Hendricks County). These sites will join the first four new physical training locations in Corydon, Linton, Rensselaer and Wabash, which became operational in the second quarter of 2024.
The updated training model includes a live burn training structure on the IDHS sites. The sites are locally owned and maintained, although the state is constructing the training facility and helping with site preparation where necessary.
Background
Legislation in 2015 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. In 2022, 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.
To help address this shortfall, the Indiana General Assembly approved more than $7 million in 2023 to construct basic, physical firefighter training locations in Indiana, where firefighters must drive more than 30 miles to receive quality training.
These new training sites will be locally owned and maintained, and the state will support the construction of tower and burn facilities to allow for all hands-on firefighter training associated with the Firefighter I and Firefighter II required training. To be considered for one of these training locations, local communities were to have, at a minimum:
- Been located in an identified area of need
- Owned property with the infrastructure to allow for live burn training, such as utilities and access for fire department apparatus
- Opened the site to regional fire departments for training
Additional considerations for site selection:
- Support from local officials
- The most significant impact on the total population and fire departments within a 30-mile radius
All sites will be outfitted with equipment packages that include structures and props, allowing firefighters to experience live fire behavior at industry-standard levels.
Volunteer Fire Department PPE Distribution
Of the $17.7 million approved by the legislature, $10 million in new personal protective equipment (PPE) has been issued to volunteer fire departments across the state.
Sixty-six departments received full sets of PPE (turnout gear and SCBA setup) based on their needs and the age of their current equipment. The selection process addressed the poorest volunteer departments first and those with the oldest equipment.
The funds are administered by the Indiana Fire and Public Safety Academy, led by the Indiana State Fire Marshal and IDHS. The vendor, MES Inc., will work directly with individual firefighters to measure and fit the equipment before delivery.
IDHS accepted submissions for several months in 2023 to determine the highest need departments. The application process is now closed.