National Fire Academy Classes, Campus Hit by Trump's Axe
EMMITSBURG, MD – Angst, anger, blindsided, confusion, sadness.
Those are some of the emotions fire and emergency services personnel are feeling after hearing about the Trump administration’s sudden cancellation of all courses.
FEMA announced the measures in a late Friday afternoon e-mail that caught many off-guard. Some instructors were headed out of state to teach weekend classes while some students with plans to head to the Maryland campus were stopped.
The e-mail read: "FEMA is currently in the process of evaluating agency programs and spending to ensure alignment with Administration priorities."
In addition to in-person training, courses slated to be held across the country also are cancelled through Aug. 24, according to the USFA website.
There is no word if the campus closure will impact the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend events planned for May 3-4.
During the memorial service, firefighters who gave the ultimate sacrifice while serving their communities are honored.
Emmitsburg Mayor Frank Davis said he is concerned about what the closure will have on local residents and businesses.
Davis said he sent e-mails to state and federal representatives expressing his feelings about the impact. “There are a lot of people around here who work there. And, local businesses will definitely suffer.”
U.S. Representative April McClain Delaney, who represents the Emmitsburg area, issued a statement about the decision and spoke of the importance of the training and leadership.
“The National Fire Academy is a jewel of Maryland’s Sixth District, where tens of thousands of firefighters join top experts gather to train and share best practices, develop innovative methods, and enhance public safety in all 50 states and around the globe. From wildfires in California to residential structure fires in communities across the nation, my constituents and all Americans face an ongoing and dangerous threat to life and property. The Trump administration’s order to pause lifesaving training in Emmitsburg not only flies in the face of a judge’s most recent demand to resume all federal spending, but also weakens the level of preparedness for our first responders across the nation. I call on FEMA to reverse this decision.”
Davis, the former fire chief and president of the local Vigilant Hose Company, said the town has always shared a special relationship with the leaders and firefighters who often visit the fire station on Main Street.
The way the ax fell on the NFA—long known for its courses for fire service leaders —isn’t sitting well with many.
“Why shut it down? They do valuable, important work there. Don’t they have the mechanisms in place to do evaluations while the classes were in progress,” said J. Gordon Routley, retired assistant director of the Montreal Fire Department.
“Lives are being disrupted. It’s not fair to anyone—students and especially, loyal employees. There’s just no respect. This makes it obvious they don’t care about the mission or the people.”
The former fire chief in Shreveport, LA, Routley said he’s also concerned about the firings of NIOSH investigators who review line-of-duty death fires and make recommendations on how to prevent them.
“They don’t care about the wide-range impact.”
Anthony Correia, a graduate of the NFA Executive Fire Officer program, called the abrupt closure and cancellation ‘outrageous.’
“Typically, before something is shut down, there are multiple warnings ahead of time that they are noncompliant. That’s not the case here.”
Correia, a paramedic and former director Burlington Township, NJ, Fire Department, said there’s no reason for what happened.
In addition to the most recent decision, FEMA also cancelled training sponsored by Women in Fire.
“It was always open to everyone. Men took the classes, and some of the instructors were men,” he said, adding that it was obvious someone didn’t have knowledge of the program.
Correia said using the chainsaw to the NFA was just wrong.
He also is concerned about the impact on people who keep the campus running and local residents.
“Trump said he would be looking after the blue-collar workers. Well, that’s not happening…”
Susan Nicol | News Editor
Susan Nicol is the news editor for Firehouse.com. She is a life member and active with the Brunswick Volunteer Ambulance & Rescue Company, Oxford Fire Company and Brunswick Vol. Fire Co. Susie has been an EMT in Maryland since 1976. Susie is vice-president of the Frederick County Fire/Rescue Museum. She is on the executive committee of Frederick County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association. She also is part of the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) Region II EMS Council. Susie is a board member of the American Trauma Society, Maryland Division. Prior to joining the Firehouse team, she was a staff writer for The Frederick News-Post, covering fire, law enforcement, court and legislative issues.
