AUGUSTA — On Thursday, April 16, Gov. Janet T. Mills signed into law legislation to expand access to critical training infrastructure for Maine firefighters. 

LD 679, sponsored by Sen. Chip Curry, D-Belfast, is “An Act to Increase the Funding to the Live Fire Service Training Facilities Fund.” The act provides funding to support the construction, repair and replacement of regional live fire training facilities across the state. 

As amended by the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee, LD 679 provides $500,000 in one-time funding to aid in constructing and repairing live fire training facilities across Maine. The funding will be administered by the Maine Fire Service Institute and awarded through the Maine Fire Protection Services Commission to strengthen and expand training opportunities for firefighters. 

“Firefighters across Maine put themselves in harm’s way to protect our communities, and they deserve access to the training they need to do that safely and effectively,” said Senator Curry, in a Maine Senate news release. “This investment helps make sure those opportunities are available closer to home, especially in rural areas where long travel distances can be a real barrier. It’s a practical step to strengthen our local departments and give our first responders the best training we can.” 

Live fire training allows firefighters to build and maintain critical skills, including search and rescue, hazardous materials response and structural fire suppression.

"Maintaining a strong network of regional facilities is especially important to rural departments, as many of them rely on volunteer firefighters and training facilities can often be located far away," said the release. 

A new live fire training facility proposed for the Belfast area is among the projects identified as part of the state’s long-term plan to expand regional training capacity, according to the news release.

"This investment helps move that work forward, improving access to training for firefighters across Waldo County and surrounding communities," said the release.

LD 679 received bipartisan support in the Legislature and was enacted by both the House and Senate before being signed into law by the governor on April 16, 2026. 

As non-emergency legislation, LD 679 will go into effect 90 days after the Legislature adjourns. 

Sen. Curry is serving his third term in the Maine Senate, representing all of Waldo County. He serves as the Senate Chair of the Housing and Economic Development Committee and sits on the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee.

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