The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has canceled most National Fire Academy (NFA) courses subject to an administrative review of programming – impacting all in-person trainings and all online courses that involve any funding or staffing.

The sudden move, according to the Trump Administration, is to make sure there is “alignment with administration priorities” in NFA trainings and programs. This comes as thousands of positions are cut across the federal workforce and non-aligned programs are gutted as part of a broader effort to reduce the overall size the federal government.

Bruce Suenram, National Association of Emergency and Fire Officials President, issued the following statement addressing the NFA closure:

“The National Fire Academy is the gold standard for firefighters’ and emergency medical providers’ training and resources. Thousands of personnel, including many fire and emergency service district first responders, turn to this exceptional Academy each year to enhance leadership, improve procedures, and train the future emergency services force – all to better protect and serve their communities. And for more than 50 years, it has been a hallowed location where we gather to honor firefighters who have fallen in the line of duty.

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. NAFEO calls on President Trump and the Administration to swiftly reopen the National Fire Academy and restore this essential programming for the nation’s emergency force and to continue improving public safety in our communities.”

NAEFO encourages all of its state, district, and individual members to call their members of the U.S. House of Representatives (find your representative here) and the U.S. Senate (find your senator here) to share the importance of NFA programming, talk about its significance to emergency officials, and urge them to support the Academy’s reopening.

Contact Cole Arreola-Karr, NAEFO Policy Manager, cole@naefo.org, for more information.

Fire & Emergency Services Districts’ Discussion Guide for your Member of Congress/Senate

• Introduce yourself and your position with the district, and share roughly how many constituents your district provides emergency services to in your community.
• On March 7, FEMA suddenly and immediately suspended courses at the National Fire Academy as part of efforts to review federal initiatives with the current Administration.
• Please urge President Trump and his Administration to quickly re-open the National Fire Academy and restart critical training programs that enhance the current firefighting force and prepares the next generation of emergency service leaders.
• The Academy helps our first responders understand the new tactics that need to be deployed for the evolving emergency response landscape – such as response to car battery fires and other hazardous materials.
• Fire and ambulance services are not wasteful, and they are necessary to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all Americans. As training programs are often costly and few and far between, programs offered through the Academy are crucial for all in the emergency service – and especially for special districts like ours, operating on lean and limited budgets.
• Do you have a story from attending an NFA course or event? Share the story with the staffer who you speak to
• The Ask: Please work with President Trump and urge his Administration to swiftly re-open the National Fire Academy and to maintain the gold-standard trainings it provides.