In 2016, The Multi Agency Academic Cooperative (MAAC) Foundation, a nonprofit organization, was created under the leadership of Chief Stewart G. McMillan by convening a group of public servants to address the need for additional training in the emergency services sector. The founding team consisted of over 20 emergency service professionals who came together to assess needs, determine curriculum, and to secure the funding to develop the states most comprehensive training campus dedicated to first responders. Prior to the development of the MAAC Foundation First Responder Training Campus, law enforcement, firefighters and EMS personnel responded to calls together, yet seldom trained together. This was mostly due to not having a coordinated effort and a designated training facility that supported collaboration. Through a partnership with the Indiana District 1 Training Council, the MAAC offers a realistic, hands-on approach to emergency services training. Together, we have created a state-of-the-art campus that serves as a leading provider of safety, emergency preparedness and response training. The more than 30-acre campus in Valparaiso, Indiana, offers quality instruction built to meet National Fire Protection Association requirements. indoor training area, three 45-person classrooms, a tactical building, a 4-story drill tower, a live burn building, a flashover trainer, residential home training structures, a vehicle extrication area, a virtual reality simulator and a multitude of training props. There is also a new MAAC HQ being constructed and Kathryn Hall, which will allow K9 teams and other responders to train indoors during inclement weather. Firefighters training at the MAAC can leave their equipment at their home station so they don’t have to be taken out of service. The center can host six or seven departments at a time, rotating between different set-ups, without having to worry about a shortage of equipment. Although, the MAAC’s focus began with the fire service in mind, it quickly evolved to include law enforcement and EMS. This is the first project of its kind, created and funded utilizing mostly private and some public dollars. The MAAC serves as a model for regional training across Indiana and beyond and most classes are provided at no cost to responders. The MAAC operates seven days a week and it's facilities are generally available to responders at any time. As a result of this model, the MAAC has hosted over 600,000 direct training contact hours since January of 2017 (as of April, 2026). Classes range from Hazmat technology and propane fires to K-9 units and SWAT teams. In addition to providing high-quality education for our first responders, the MAAC’s educational outreach extends beyond traditional training to include leadership training for commanding officers, an EMT program, a Fire & Rescue program for high school juniors and seniors, meeting space for community organizations to collaborate on important issues, and public education events as well.
