The MAAC Foundation, a first responder training campus in Valparaiso, announced that it has been awarded $500,000 in Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI) 2.0 funds from the Northwest Indiana Forum.
These READI 2.0 funds will contribute to a $9- million expansion of MAAC Foundation’s Public Safety Innovation Campus in the form of a new two-story building designated the MAAC HQ and Kathryn Hall. The 24,500-square-foot facility will serve as the organization’s primary office space and feature more than 10 additional classrooms and training rooms, including two large indoor K-9 training spaces.
“This expansion represents an exciting next chapter for the MAAC Foundation. It means more training opportunities, stronger partnerships, and ultimately, better-prepared first responders who can elevate their readiness for real-world emergencies,” said Nicole Gladstone, president and CEO of the MAAC Foundation. “We couldn’t have done this without support from our donors and sponsors, as well as amazing partners like the Dean and Barbara White Family Foundation, Kathryn McMillan, and the Northwest Indiana Forum who all believe in our mission to serve the first responder community.”
In less than 10 years, the MAAC has grown from a single building into a 30-acre, fully comprehensive first responder training campus with over 40 buildings, structures and specialized training areas. The campus serves more than 100 unique departments from across Northwest Indiana and beyond, including firefighters, police officers and EMTs. On average, the MAAC Campus is utilized more than 15 hours every day, and more than 115,000 hours of training took place in 2025 alone.
Through a partnership with the Indiana District 1 Training Council, the MAAC offers a realistic, hands-on approach to emergency services training. Since it was established in 2017, the MAAC has hosted over 550,000 direct training contact hours with classes ranging from hazmat technology and propane fires to K-9 units and SWAT teams. MAAC’s educational outreach also extends to the public through community events as well as safety courses like CPR, de-escalation and self-defense.
The MAAC also hosts several academies each year including a career fire academy, a volunteer fire academy, an EMT training course, and a fire and rescue vocational program for high school juniors and seniors. For more information, visit MAACFoundation.org.
Indiana's $1.25 billion READI program is bringing vibrancy to regions across the state to accelerate shovel-ready projects and programs that will transform Hoosier communities, attract talent and improve quality of life. READI, which has been nationally recognized for its success, encourages regional collaboration and data-driven, long-term planning that will benefit current and future residents for generations to come. The state's $1 billion investment, which secured additional funding awarded by the Lilly Endowment, is expected to attract a minimum 4:1 match of local public, private and nonprofit funding, yielding at least $3 billion invested across all 92 counties to enhance Indiana's quality of life, quality of place and quality of opportunity.
