31st Annual Fire & Life Safety Education Conference

Learn about the Annual Fire & Life Safety Education Conference
31st Annual Massachusetts Fire and Life Safety Conference 2026 flyer

This year's conference theme is "Heating Up Safety: From Hot Topics to Cooler Solutions." The event will be held September 16-17, 2026, at the Wellsworth Hotel in Southbridge, MA. Join us to learn new skills, refresh old skills, and connect with colleagues from across the state. 

The conference will include:

  • programs for new fire and life safety educators and fire prevention officers,
  • programs to challenge experienced educators,
  • workshops that teach how to develop partnerships, collaborate, and expand programs. 

Conference Program and Schedule

Coming soon...

Read about every workshop and event at the 2026 conference:

Day 1 Schedule and workshops (September 16)

Day 2 Schedule and workshops (September 17)

Please click on Day 1 or Day 2 to see the schedule and workshops available to fill out registration form.

Registration

Registration for the 2026 Annual Fire & Life Safety Education Conference will begin in June.

You must complete your registration by printing and mailing the registration form with a check payable to the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy Trust Fund at the address below. Payment is required by September 4, 2026. Full payment must be received prior to the conference, or admission will be denied. No cash or cards accepted

Please use the registration form as your invoice, DFS does not bill. 

Mail to:    Department of Fire Services 
                 Attention: Sheryl Hedlund 
                 P.O. Box 1025 
                 Stow, MA 
                 01775

Registration hint: After you open the registration form, you can open a second window, go to the website and see the conference workshop options for each block.

Lodging

The conference will be held at the Wellsworth Hotel, 14 Mechanic Street, Southbridge, MA. The hotel room rate for conference attendees is $130, plus tax, per night. When you make your reservation, be sure to identify the Massachusetts Fire and Life Safety Education Conference. 

Reservation Deadline. Make your reservations by calling the Wellsworth Hotel at 508-765-8000 by August 19, 2026. DFS is not responsible for hotel accommodations.

Who Should Attend

Workshops are designed for fire educators, fire prevention officers, EMTs, teachers, older adult specialists, nurses, school leaders, police officers, and firefighters at every level of experience. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or new to safety education, we have workshops that support your work.

Nominations for the 2026 Educator of the Year Award

Nomination applications for the 2026 Massachusetts Fire and Life Safety Educator of the Year Award are available now. 

The award recognizes individuals or teams for their involvement and commitment to make our world safer from fire and other preventable injuries. Although fire and life safety education may be their job, we are looking for people who go above and beyond to make a difference. We seek to honor people who demonstrate qualities such as leadership, teamwork, creativity, vision, and perseverance. The winner’s name will be inscribed on a perpetual plaque at the Department of Fire Services. The winner will be invited to participate in fire prevention activities with the State Fire Marshal, and to represent fire and life safety educators at events throughout the year. The award and the runner-up citations will be presented on September 17, 2026 at the Annual Fire and Life Safety Education Conference.

Contact

Date published: May 27, 2026

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