New mobile live-fire training equipment coming to province
Nova Scotia is investing in mobile live-fire training equipment to address safety and competency gaps across its largely volunteer fire service and rebuild its provincial training system following the loss of its long-time fire school.
The Department of Emergency Management will purchase two mobile burn units and four propane‑fuelled training props to expand access to hands-on, standardised training for firefighters across the province, the Nova Scotia government announced. The expenditure totals $2.64 million, including $2.16 million for the burn units – one new and one refurbished – and $480,000 for the training props.
Emergency Management Minister Kim Masland said the investment is designed to improve firefighter safety and public protection by making realistic training more accessible. “Firefighters need realistic, high-quality training to safely do their jobs and protect the public,” Masland said, adding that she has heard from “over 300 fire chiefs and deputies and our fire training advisory committee about the importance of access to mobile burn units.”
Controlled live-fire capacity, scenario-based skills development
According to the provincial government, the two new mobile burn units will be based in the western and central regions, joining an existing unit in Cape Breton and bringing the provincial total to three. Each unit is a portable, self-contained trailer that allows firefighters to practise live‑fire scenarios in a controlled environment using propane‑fuelled fires, smoke and adjustable layouts that simulate real emergencies while meeting national safety standards.
The units can be moved and deployed as needed, enabling firefighters to train closer to home rather than travelling long distances or going without live‑fire practice. Masland said the units “help close training gaps and ensure firefighters across the province can train closer to home in a safe and controlled environment.”
To complement the burn units, the Department is purchasing four modular propane‑fuelled training props. These simulators can be configured to safely recreate multiple fire types, including propane tank and other pressure‑vessel incidents and fires with multiple ignition points.
The props will allow firefighters to practise core competencies such as hose handling, extinguisher use, shutting off fuel sources, cooling fires and making rapid decisions under pressure in a controlled scenario framework. The Nova Scotia government said the equipment will support more realistic training while maintaining a high degree of control over exposure to heat, smoke and other live‑fire hazards.
Mark Bettens, chief director of fire services for Cape Breton Regional Fire Service, highlighted the safety implications: “Access to consistent, high-quality training is critical to firefighter safety and effectiveness. These mobile burn units and training props will allow firefighters across Nova Scotia to train closer to home, using realistic scenarios that better prepare them for the emergencies they face.”
Governance and system reform context
The announcement comes as Nova Scotia overhauls its firefighter training system following a series of governance and safety concerns. In August, the Province released a value‑for‑money audit of the Nova Scotia Firefighters School and ended its relationship with the school “because of concerns with safety, governance and other issues,” according to the Nova Scotia government.
The Province has since established the Nova Scotia Fire Training Advisory Committee to create an interim basic firefighter training plan while a long-term program is developed. The Fire Service Association of Nova Scotia has also led a broad governance review focused on operations, training, communications and funding.
The committee, led by co-chairs Mark Bettens, Chief Director of the Cape Breton Regional Fire Service, and Paul Maynard, Director of Client Services with the Department of Emergency Management, will develop and implement an interim regional plan for firefighter training that covers:
- firefighter safety and survival
- personal protective equipment and self-contained breathing apparatus
- fire behavior and suppression techniques
- ladders and ventilation
- forcible entry and search techniques
- water supply and fire streams
- incident command
- live fire training
- vehicle extrication
- communications
- emergency vehicle operator
- hazardous materials awareness and how to deal with them.
Greg Jones, president of the Fire Service Association of Nova Scotia, said the new equipment comes at a pivotal moment. “The addition of two mobile burn units and four propane fuelled training props will significantly enhance firefighter training across the province at a critical time,” he said. “These assets will provide realistic live fire training in areas where access has been limited, and they represent an important step toward building a sustainable, modern training system for Nova Scotia’s fire service.”
Cape Breton Regional Municipality Fire and Emergency Services will manage instructors and maintenance for the new mobile burn units and will work with the Province to build a provincewide group of qualified instructors, with the aim of improving consistent access to standardised training.
The investment is linked to broader legislative reform. During the fall 2025 sitting of the legislature, the Province introduced the Fire Safety and Services Act, which the Nova Scotia government says commits it to “improving fire safety and supporting the long-term stability of fire services in Nova Scotia.”
