The National Fire Academy – At Your Service!

By Eriks Gabliks, National Fire Academy Superintendent

The National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control demonstrated tremendous foresight when they recommended the establishment of the National Fire Academy (NFA) in its seminal report, America Burning. This report identified that both career and volunteer fire and EMS providers have a national organization, and facility, that provides professional development opportunities not available at the local level and that it works to support and bolster the training provided at the local level. Those who wrote America Burning envisioned the “West Point of the Fire Service.”

The Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 was created in response to America Burning. The report’s authors in 1973 estimated fires caused 12,000 deaths, 300,000 serious injuries and $11.4 billion in property damage annually in the United States, asserting that “the richest and most technologically advanced nation in the world leads all the major industrialized countries in per capita deaths and property loss from fire.”

The report proposed that a federal agency be established to help combat the growing problem of fatal fires happening throughout the country. The US Fire Administration (USFA) was established by Public Law 93-498, the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974, and signed into law by President Gerald Ford on October 29, 1974.

The role of this new federal agency was clear and direct. Establish a National Fire Academy to advance the professional development of fire service personnel and other people engaged in fire prevention and control activities; a technology program of development, testing and evaluation of equipment for use by the nation’s fire, rescue and civil defense services; the operation of the National Fire Data Center; and educating the public in fire prevention.

After an exhaustive search for a location for the National Emergency Training Center (NETC) and NFA, the perfect place was found at the foot of the Catoctin Mountains in Emmitsburg, Maryland (about ten miles south of Gettysburg, PA). Located on more than 100 acres, NETC is on the former campus of St. Joseph’s College, established by the first American citizen canonized by the Roman Catholic Church, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. The College, founded in 1809, closed down in 1973 and merged with nearby Mt St Mary’s University, a coed Catholic Institution.

Entering the historic campus of St. Joseph, now NETC, is an experience in history and emotion. Many of the main buildings date from the 1830s and are meticulously preserved. Both Union and Confederate forces occupied the campus in the events immediately preceding the Battle of Gettysburg, and the Sisters had established a hospital which cared for the wounded regardless of origin. Based on an agreement with the Federal Government when FEMA acquired the facility, all religious symbols that were a part of the building structures cannot be disturbed. As a result, the crosses and chapel altars are undisturbed. And the solemnity of the buildings lends an even more reason for additional emotions when one realizes that the campus contains the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial and National Fire Service Chapel.

Entering the historic campus of St. Joseph, now NETC, is an experience in history and emotion.

The NFA works to enhance the ability of fire and emergency services and allied professionals to deal more effectively with fire and related emergencies. Free training courses and programs are delivered at our campus in Emmitsburg, Maryland, online, and throughout the nation. All NFA instructors (full-time and adjunct) are seasoned professionals with years of experience in the field who represent fire and EMS agencies around the nation.

The NFA enjoys a great relationship with the New York State Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services – Office of Fire Prevention & Control through which various two- and six-day classes are made available specifically for volunteer and career fire and EMS personnel from New York.

For those who have access to the internet, NFA classes can also be easily accessed from your computer at home or in the fire station. The NFA has a number of self-study classes that you will find of interest as well as mediated and virtual classes offered throughout the year. We understand that many are unable to travel so our online classes are a great option for those seeking professional development opportunities.

For those able to travel and spend a week away from home or work, the NFA offers hundreds of residential classes each year at its main campus in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Nine topic areas are available all including: incident management, hazardous materials, EMS, leadership and supervision, community risk reduction, fire investigation, fire prevention, safety and health, and wildland urban interface (WUI). Each topic area offers a number of classes for both certified/sworn fire and EMS personnel and just as important those who are not but serve in an equally important role. The key to those interested in attending a class is reviewing the course description, the target audience, and competing the online application completely indicating why you want to attend the class and how you meet the target audience.

There is no cost for those men and women selected to attend classes offered by the NFA. For those selected to attend a class in Emmitsburg, Maryland, the NFA will provide world-class training, lodging, and reimburse you for your travel. Your commitment is easy, you give your time and pay for meals on campus. For added value to our students, all NFA classes are reviewed by an outside third party, the American Council on Education (ACE). ACE accreditation enables those who successfully complete NFA classes to receive college credit for their training.

If you are looking to attend a class at the National Fire Academy, please take a look at our web page and complete an online application. If you are looking to attend an NFA class being offered in New York, please contact the New York State Fire Training team.

While much has changed in our nation’s fire service over the years, the mission of the USFA remains clear as we support and strengthen fire and EMS stakeholders to prepare for, prevent, mitigate and respond to all hazards. Our current strategic plan has three clean and concise goals:

1. Build a culture of preparedness in the fire and emergency medical services.

2. Ready the nation’s fire and emergency medical services for all hazards.

3. Ensure the USFA is an innovative, knowledgeable and responsive organization.

Our efforts have evolved as we prepare the nation’s first responders and health care leaders through ongoing (and when necessary) expedited training regarding how to evaluate and minimize community risk, how to improve protection of critical infrastructure, and how to prepare and react to all hazards and terrorism emergencies. We are committed to diversity and inclusion and work diligently to ensure we have a learning environment that represents the communities our first responders serve. Our ultimate goal is to exist as a nation with a prepared and resilient fire and EMS – one firefighter at a time to prepare for, prevent, mitigate and respond to all hazards.