Co-authored with Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced in a late afternoon email on Friday, March 7, that particular classes at the National Fire Academy (NFA) in Emmitsburg, Maryland – the nation’s leading federal fire training institution – were abruptly canceled. The e-mail read, “FEMA is currently in the process of evaluating agency programs and spending to ensure alignment with Administration priorities.”
Despite some media sources stating all courses on- and off-campus were canceled when initially reporting, there are still off-campus courses scheduled. Locations such as Indiana, New Mexico, Kansas still showed availability with courses such as “Incident Command System and Resource Management for the Fire Service” of this writing, for example. (They can be found via the course catalog’s “Off-Campus Courses” page.) The FEMA email also stated that virtual classes will continue, and they will re-evaluate holding in-person classes once the review is complete. The list of cancelled courses is posted here.
The looming questions that remain at this time are what does this mean for the U.S. Fire Administration and national fire services, and where is this leading?
Determining the Role of FEMA and the Fire Administration
According to Project 2025 Mandate for Leadership, the needed reforms and budget issues regarding FEMA call for some drastic changes to how and what the federal government handles in regard to emergency management, and what should be managed by the states. Section 5 of Project 2025, which addresses the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), includes the following recommendations for FEMA:
- A “greater emphasis on federalism and state and local preparedness, leaving FEMA to focus on large, widespread disasters … states better understand their unique needs and should bear the costs of their particularized programs. FEMA employees in Washington, D.C., should not determine how billions of federal tax dollars should be awarded to train local law enforcement officers in Texas … or supplement migrant shelters in Arizona … These grants should be terminated.”
- “Raising the threshold for states and localities to become eligible for public assistance.”
Many administration officials and current and former FEMA personnel have stated the necessity of states taking on more responsibility and costs for disasters, and studies – like The Brookings Institution’s “How the federal government should build local governments’ capacity for addressing disasters” – investigate how that may be accomplished. Transitioning federal emergency management (EM) responsibilities that “overcompensate for the lack of state and local preparedness and response” (per Project 2025), bring many questions to the forefront for FEMA, the National Fire Academy, the Emergency Management Institute, and other EM organizations.
- Are states currently capable of managing their fire response and recovery efforts?
- What would it take for states to be prepared to take on those duties?
With the issuance of Executive Order, “Achieving Efficiency Through State and Local Preparedness,” those Project 2025 recommendations seem to be taking shape. President Trump’s latest EO calls for state and local governments to take a more prominent role in national resilience efforts while reducing federal involvement in managing disaster preparedness programs. It also requests a “National Risk Register” to streamline federal functions; track, quantify and assess risks to U.S. infrastructure, cybersecurity, and other critical sectors; and inform intelligence and investment efforts.
Establishment of National Fire Services
In 1974, Congress passed the National Fire Prevention and Control Act, which included language that established the National Academy for Fire Prevention and Control, now known as the National Fire Academy. Its purpose was and is “to advance the professional development of fire service personnel and other persons engaged in fire prevention and control activities.” These personnel include firefighters, middle and top-level fire officers, fire service instructors, arson investigators, building plans review professionals, and others dedicated to protecting our communities against fire and other hazards.
For nearly 50 years, the mission of the National Fire Academy has aligned with the priorities of every presidential administration to secure and protect the homeland.
Firefighters, emergency medical services (EMS) providers, and other first responders from across the country travel to the NFA’s Maryland campus for the federally funded institution’s free training programs, including specialized hazmat training and leadership training for current and future fire department leaders.
Former U.S. Fire Administrator and Homeland Security Today Editorial Board Member Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell notes that the National Fire Academy is the war college for the fire service. It provides the same type of training to fire service officers as our nation’s military colleges provide military officers. Like military officers, firefighters pledge to uphold the Constitution and to willingly serve to protect their communities against man-made and natural threats and disasters. The NFA also offers essential leadership training that has saved the lives of firefighters and the public.
Dr. Moore-Merrell previously told WTOP that the abrupt closing of the NFA “makes absolutely no sense. It is professional development, it is Emergency Medical Incident Command, it’s Disaster Response Incident Command, it’s hazardous material response, arson investigation,” said Moore-Merrell. “These are critical services at our local community level. How could this possibly not be aligned with an administration’s priorities?” Having said that, she adds, “I am hopeful that the Administration will realize the action as a misstep and reopen the academy as quickly as possible.”
What Happens Next
With the action of #FireServiceOneVoice initiated by Dr. Moore-Merrell, fire service organizations are calling on Congress to take urgent action to reopen the National Fire Academy. National organizations are mobilizing firefighters, chiefs and fire service advocates to contact their elected officials and push for immediate funding to complete the remediation and reopen the academy. The organizations note that without access to in-person training, many fire service professionals are missing opportunities to enhance their skills in emergency management, command leadership and fire prevention.
“The Academy’s sudden closure and cancelation of upcoming training courses undermines the nation’s fire and emergency services’ priorities for safety, leadership, and service. Those who experience the Academy get the skills they need to take on everything from the frontlines of wildland fires to department administration,” said Bruce Suenram, National Association of Emergency and Fire Officials President, in his official statement.
As the fire service community rallies for support, industry leaders emphasize that reopening the NFA is not just a priority for firefighters, but a matter of national public safety. Advocates are calling on Congress to act swiftly, ensuring that firefighters continue to receive the high-quality training necessary to protect communities across the country.