MAAC is the first public/private partnership of its kind in the State of Indiana.
The MAAC Public Safety Training campus, located in Valparaiso, Indiana, includes a 4 Story (40-foot) search and rescue tower, 2 story live burn building, flashover unit, 2 story residential training structure, ventilation props, forcible entry props, drafting pond, vehicle extrication pad, one story multi-use structure, fire extinguisher and propane fire training areas, indoor apparatus training space and classrooms. All systems on campus are designed and manufactured to meet National Fire Protection Association requirements.
Table of Contents
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Training Field
The MAAC training campus is made up of approximately 4 ½ acres and was designed to allow multiple training evolutions or departments to use the field at any given time. The field consists of the following:
Classrooms
The Porter County Community Foundation Classrooms can seat 90 students at any given time. Each separate classroom can seat up to 45 students with tables and chairs. The classrooms are provided with computers and projectors.
Four Story Structure & Drill Tower
The Four Story Structure is 2,260 sq. ft. of training space on 4 floors that includes multiple entry points from both the external stair tower and interior stairs. The 1st floor is meant to simulate a small 2 bedroom apartment with the 2nd floor being a smaller efficiency sized apartment.
Training options include search and rescue, hose deployments, ventilation, standpipe, ground ladder training, aerial positioning, rope rescue and confined space entry.. Law Enforcement include force on force training along with non-lethal training ammunition use.
West View
East Aerial View
Top to Bottom View
Two Story Residential Structure
The 2,100 sq. ft. structure replicates a single family home with an open concept design with living, dining, kitchen, laundry, bedrooms and study on the first floor with a loft and bedrooms on the second floor. The structure can be used for search & rescue, ladders, ventilation, hose work and various law enforcement and EMS scenarios.
Additional training options for law enforcement include room searches and force on force training along with non-lethal training ammunition use. The windows in the structure have removable protective covers to reduce visibility and protect the windows from the use of non-lethal training ammunition which allows the instructor to vary the conditions in the structure.
The structure has also been outfitted with different types of K9 drug hiding locations that have been installed in various walls along with various pieces of furniture. Additional capabilities have been added such as lockers and moveable outlets that have magnets attached and can be located anywhere in the building. A pair of floor registers can also be moved from room to room as needed.
Front/East View
Rear/West View
South View
One Story Structure
The one story structure has a both a flat roof section and a pitch roof section. The flat roof measures 20’ x 32’ and has both a 2’ and 4’ parapet wall. The flat roof features two cut out sections for ventilation training. The pitch roof section measures 20’ x 32’ with a 4/12 pitch and also has two cut out sections. The open space underneath the roof is an open space for various SCBA training opportunities.
Aerial View
Live Fire Burn Building
The 1,400 sq. ft. two-story residential burn building is a Class A burn structure with three separate burn areas, two on the first floor and one on the second floor. Interior and exterior stairs allow stairwell operations under live fire conditions to complement stairwell training conducted in the 4-story tower. The burn building has multiple entry points via various simulated porch entry points along with a long interior hallway that allows for various entry and hose evolutions. The exterior stairway leads to a flat roof section that can be used as a staging area for simulating a basement scenario via entry from the second floor.
South View
North View
West View
Flashover Unit
The Flashover Unit is where fire behavior can be observed three feet below the fire floor. Instructors will demonstrate basic fire behavior using Class A combustibles. Key points of the system include incipient phase of the fire, fire growth, smoke production, high and low pressure zones, thermal feedback, rollover and flashover. The students are shown, and can practice under working fire conditions, nozzle techniques that can be used in any interior setting. There can be multiple evolutions before the fuel load is depleted.
Due to the high heat load all Firefighters and Instructors are required to wear Helmets with protective covers for both the helmet and shoulders in order to protect their gear from potential heat damage.
Decontamination after Interior Live Fire Training
In order to reduce the risk to Firefighters, decontamination of the outer garments is required after any Interior Live Fire training. All Decon equipment and solutions are provided.
Ventilation Props
Both the One and Two Story have the capability for vertical ventilation. The two story residential structure has an 8 / 12 pitch roof and can also be used for an aerial tip cut. The one story structure has both pitched and flat roof sections to all training on a variety of rooftop operations. The roof has a 4 / 12 pitch over have the structure and a flat roof with various parapets over the other half of the roof. There is also a variable pitch roof simulator at ground level.
Ceiling Prop
Also included with the ventilation props is a mobile ceiling pull prop.
Forcible Entry Props
Eight forcible entry props allow demonstration and practical evolutions to include the standard door props, hinge and security bar cutting, thru the lock techniques, door cuts, garage door cuts and padlock cuts. The various doors allow any number of pushing, prying, cutting and bending opportunities that provide a host of options in teaching and practicing various forcible entry skills. All Props are staged under a canopy area but can be moved as needed depending on the training needs of the students.
Click the tabs below to find more information from the manufacturer on the proper techniques on how to use the props.
Law Enforcement Ram Forcible Entry Props
Propane Fire Training Area
The Propane Fire Training pad is made up of a series of Live Fire Props. All valves are live and although can be shut off by an Instructor remotely are live valves and require the firefighter to close the valve to turn off the fuel source.
The props include the following:
- 1,000-gallon Propane tank with two valves and a relief valve controlled by the instructor.
- 40 lb. and 100 lb. Propane Tanks with separate valves.
- Multi-valve prop with three separate valves and types of fire.
- Small Propane tank with a single Propane valve and pipe leak.
- Two valve pipe leak, which simulates closing an active system by isolation both sides of the fire.
- Small Pan and obstacle fire simulating a spill fire in containment and an active leak.
- Propane Tree with a single valve isolation at the base of the tree.
- Small Dumpster fire.
- Large Dumpster fire.
- Vehicle fire.
The Dumpster Props have grating installed at the water level to allow for the use of trash hooks to manipulate the material during extinguishment training.
The Vehicle Fire Prop can be set up with various types of configurations including separate compartment fires each controlled separately by the instructor. The vehicle is constructed with a fire wall between each compartment. The vehicles can also burn Class A materials.
Fire Extinguisher Training Area
The Fire Extinguisher Training pad is made up of a series of fire extinguisher props that simulate Class A combustible material, Class B flammable liquid or Class C electrical fires using propane controlled by the instructor. The props include the following:
- Small Trash Can
- Small Flammable Liquid Cabinet
- Small spill fire in a 3’ x 5’ pan
- Small spill fire with obstacle in a 3’ x 5’ pan
Hazmat Area
Used for the simulating various hazardous material leak and spill scenarios and incidents involving common containers and transportation vehicles. The pipe leak prop consists of a number of different sized pipes and valves. A 28’ box trailer has a number of typical containers that can be arranged and set up as needed. The MC-307 Trailer and separate ground level dome props can also provide various leak and spill scenarios.
Drill / Extrication Area
A 100’ x 80’ concrete pad used for various drill evolutions and backs up to the one, two and four story props. The area is commonly used for vehicle extrication but easily supports demonstrations and large groups or displays. This also provides ample space to conduct basic hose evolutions prior to moving into more complex hose evolutions within the training structures.
Drafting Pond
The 20,000-gallon drafting pond features two dry hydrants and concrete drafting pads to support all weather operations. In addition, three manifolds have been set up on the corners to allow for the connection of flowing lines that dump back into the pond an d avoid having Firefighters holding handlines during training. All hose, valves, adapters and drop tanks are stored at the pond container. A Student Canopy has also been built to support training.
Indoor Training Building
With 7,200 sq. ft., the building allows an open bay area with about 6,000 sq. ft. of open floor space used for indoor training during times of inclement weather along with training props and equipment stored in the building. The indoor area also houses the ladder / rescue prop, CPAT equipment and a variety of other types of training props.
Indoor Ladder / Rescue Prop
Above the container workshop in the Apparatus Building is a wooden multi-room structure that can be used for laddering and has additional capability of being used for small scale VEIS drills, Pittsburgh Drill from a second floor stairway and wall breach scenarios.
Rescue & Survival skills can be developed and practiced using the ladder slide and / or bailout (fall protection is built in), firefighter through the floor (Nance Drill), etc.
Fire Hydrants
Four hydrants serve various parts of the training field providing city water pressure during normal usage with the capability of higher pressures when supported by the on-site fire pump. A hydrant and valve cut away is also available.
Firefighter Functional Fitness Equipment
The system consists of 3 pieces of firefighter fitness/training equipment that will allow simulation of numerous fire scene scenarios. The equipment can be used Air Consumption, Fitness Assessments, Skills & Technique training, Team Building, etc.
Fire Behavior - Max Fire Box
Fire box that supplements fire behavior training with small scale live fire demonstration.
Lighting
The field has flexible lighting capability on each of the 30' light poles. Controls for the lights are at the base of each pole with 1 switch controlling 2 lights. The instructor can determine the level of lighting desired on the training field.
CPAT – Candidate Physical Ability Test
The 8 Stations of the CPAT program are laid out in the bay and can be incorporated into regular training efforts or as part of an air consumption evaluation.
SCBA Confidence Maze
The SCBA Confidence Maze is located in the South container of the 1 Story Structure. The Maze is two levels with 44 cages and 10 obstacles. Students will move between the lower and upper sections of the maze as they navigate the maze. Instructors have access to the entire maze and can observe and communicate with students as needed. Instructors can also access students at any time throughout the maze by lifting out the side panels as needed.
The obstacles include the following:
- Wall panel with manhole
- Wall panel with door
- Wall panel with reduced passageway
- Wall panel with sliding door
- Wall panel with ladders
- Wall panel with adjustable obstacle
- Floor panel with hatch
- Floor panel sloped incline
- Floor panel with stairs
- Tube section
(Click the image below to enlarge)
SCBA Confidence Props
A number of mobile props are available for different scenarios. (low profile, tubes, wall stud spaces, floor collapse, Denver Drill, basement window drill, etc. The various props can be arranged in number of configurations depending on the scenario desired by the Instructor. They can be located indoors or out depending on the weather.
Active Sprinkler Heads
The Tower Structure has an open Head Sprinkler System installed that allows the Firefighters to control a flowing sprinkler head. The system has pendant, upright and side wall sprinkler heads. It is fed via a hose line from a hydrant.
Fire Department Connection (FDC)
In addition to the interior Standpipe in the Four Story Structure the Tower Structure has an exterior Standpipe that can be used for stretching hose on either the Tower Structure up to the next level and / or into the Four Story Structure. The Instructor can observe both the connection of the FDC and the connection of the standpipe from several vantage points.
Standpipe Cart
The cart has a fully functioning standpipe system that can be used as a standalone mobile training prop for the deployment of hoseline and connection of supply hose to the single inlet fire department connection. The cart also has various appliances and nozzles that can be used with the cart.
Fire Alarm & Sprinkler Modules
The systems are mounted on two sided mobile carts and can be moved as needed for training. Each Fire Alarm Panel (FAP) and Sprinkler System is fully functioning and can simulate any number of alarms, troubles and supervisory indications. These systems allow students to trip and reset the systems to understand the various indicators and the proper response to such indications.
Addressable Fire Alarm Panel and Fire Sprinkler Systems
The FAP has a number of smoke detectors along with a Carbon Monoxide monitor, pull stations and visual and audible indicators. The Sprinkler side of the cart has a dry pipe valve and wet pipe check valve built in tamper switches on the control valves.
Non–Addressable Fire Alarm Panel and Wet Pipe Fire Sprinkler System
The FAP side has a number of smoke and heat detectors along with a Carbon Monoxide monitor, pull stations and visual and audible indicators. The Sprinkler side of the cart has both a wet pipe and add on tamper switches on the valves for the backflow indicator along with a flow switch with alarm bell.
Explosive Breach Door
At the request of one of the Tactical Teams a door was built to allow the use of a small explosive charge on the door handle to allow the training on explosive breaching.
K9 Working Dogs Area
The K9 Working Dog Area is made up of several different areas which include agility, multiuse, aggression, open space, etc. Each area has a separate canopy with picnic tables. All of the agility equipment can be moved as required. Several of the pieces are also modular and with a little creativity can be changed around as needed.
A fenced in 60’ x 120’ area with crushed limestone base with various items located in the space for K9 work.
A fenced in 30’ x 120’ area with K9 Artificial Grass that is completely open.
A fenced in 60’ x 120’ area with pea gravel with the following agility equipment for K9’s.
Agility Equipment
Stair Climb / Cat Walk
Scaling A Frame
Ladder and Plank Walk Large
Ladder and Plank Walk Small
Crawl
Window Jump
Picket Fence Jump
Board Jump
Shrub Jump
Chain Link Fence Jump
Tunnel Set
Tunnel Short
Teeter Totter
Fence Walk
Horizontal Hanging Ladder
Wicket Walk
Pause Tables
