New $18M Live-Fire Training Facility Opens in Bridgewater

Massachusetts officials have opened an $18 million live-fire training facility at the Department of Fire Services' Bridgewater campus.

The new 5,400-square-foot facility is part of a comprehensive infrastructure upgrade that includes paving to the far end of the campus, water reclamation systems designed to reduce overall water usage, and improvements to utilities.

Eleven interior burn rooms, located across three floors, are designed to simulate various fire scenarios, including porch, garage, and basement fires; standpipe operations; and roof ventilation. Within the facility, firefighters will conduct their training using straw and wooden pallets to maintain consistent temperatures and reduce toxic emissions during exercises.

Designed by Dore & Whittier of Newburyport and constructed by Bond Building, the project was funded through the Division of Capital Asset Management & Maintenance's capital budget.

The Bridgewater campus will serve more than 100 local fire departments across six southeastern Massachusetts counties. According to a report by The Enterprise, approximately 120 career, call, and volunteer firefighter recruits graduate from the Bridgewater campus each year. 

In a statement shared with The Enterprise, State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine said that the opening of the Bridgewater burn building is a significant advancement in the development of a site supporting more than 100 local fire departments in southeastern Massachusetts.

“In just a few short years since it opened in 2020, it's grown into a full-service facility that offers a full array of fire training, protection, and investigation resources for the region,” he said.