Since first opening its doors in 1979, the National Fire Academy (NFA) has played a crucial role in shaping modern firefighting tactics and policies, offering specialized education that has saved countless lives
What is the National Fire Academy?
In 1974, Congress passed the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act, which led to the creation of the National Fire Prevention and Control Administration, now known as the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) and its training division — the National Fire Academy.
The NFA was created in response to the need for advanced fire service education in the U.S. Before its establishment, most firefighter training was conducted at the local or state level, with limited opportunities for national-level instruction. The push for a centralized academy began in the 1970s after the illuminating 1973 ‘America Burning’ report, which highlighted the need for improved fire prevention, training, and leadership development.
[READ MORE | 50 years of ‘America Burning’: The history behind the landmark report]
Where is the National Fire Academy located?
The first classes began in various states in 1977, before the NFA campus — previously St. Joseph College, a four-year liberal arts college for women established in 1809 — officially opened in Emmitsburg, Maryland in 1979, and quickly became a hub for advanced fire service education.
What is the role and mission of the National Fire Academy?
The primary mission of the National Fire Academy is to provide leadership, technical training and advanced research to firefighters, fire officers and emergency responders with the goal of reducing the nation’s fire-related deaths, injuries and property loss through high-quality education and training programs.
Who attends the National Fire Academy?
Anyone with “substantial involvement in fire prevention and control, emergency medical services, fire-related emergency management activities or aligned professions,” can attend courses on campus or online, according to the NFA’s website. Selection criteria differ by course, but applicants are also evaluated by:
- The impact their training will have on their local community
- The relevance of the skills to your work and your potential to apply them
- A diverse student population that is representative of the fire service workforce
What classes are offered by the National Fire Academy?
To achieve their goals, the National Fire Academy provides free training to qualified fire and emergency personnel. Courses are offered both on campus and online, making advanced fire service education accessible to all.
The NFA offers on-campus courses that run from 5-10 days in:
- Fire prevention management
- Community risk reduction education
- EMS
- Technical fire prevention
- Arson and explosion investigation
- Hazardous materials
- Incident command and management
- Leadership and executive development
- Planning and information management
- Responder health and safety
- Wildland Urban Interface (WUI)
These programs are designed not only for firefighters but also for emergency managers and other public safety officials.
Online National Fire Academy training
The NFA also offers off-campus training opportunities for those who can’t make the trip to campus. These 2-day courses can also be used by states as “train the trainer” (T-t-T) programs, in which classroom materials are digitally deliveredto state training systems for distribution and instruction, which helps create a multiplying effect on fire service education across the country.
How much does it cost to attend the National Fire Academy?
There are no tuition frees for any on-campus, online or NFA-sponsored off-campus courses; all instruction and course materials are provided at no costs to the student. In addition, the NFA also offers travel reimbursement for qualifying students
Notable National Fire Academy events:
- National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend: This annual event through the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation honors those firefighters who died in service to their communities in the last year and includes a candlelight vigil for surviving family members ahead of the memorial service.
- Executive Fire Officer and Leadership Symposium: An annual event for EFO program graduates, current and future fire and EMS leaders and students.
- Fire and Emergency Service Higher Education (FESHE) Symposium: The nation’s leading event for educators, fire service leaders and policymakers working to advance fire and emergency services education.
- Women’s Weekend: A 2-day weekend hosted by the National Fire Academy and sponsored by Women in Fire for the advancement of female firefighters.
Why did FEMA cancel National Fire Academy classes?
On March 8, 2025, FEMA released a statement that all in-person training offered by the National Fire Academy was canceled, effective immediately.
“FEMA is currently in the process of evaluating agency programs and spending to ensure alignment with Administration priorities,” the announcement stated, noting that online classes would still be available to those enrolled.
What are fire service leaders saying about the National Fire Academy?
The cancellation of NFA campus classes resulted in widespread backlash from fire service leaders across the country. Dozens of fire service leaders, industry organizations, former federal fire leaders and congressional members signed letters to officials at the Department of Homeland Security, which houses FEMA, urging a reconsideration of the cancellation.
Statements by fire leaders:
- “The longer the NFA is shutdown, the greater the gap in professional development for firefighters and paramedics in the U.S. The NFA instructors also train arson investigators for all levels of government, including the ATF. It is a travesty that there is an interruption in these trainings, and no one knows for how long. When did firefighter training for the safety and well-being of the public and communities become misaligned with this administration so that it needs evaluation?”
— Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell, former U.S. Fire Administration administrator - “This is not just a fire service issue — it is a public safety issue. We must urge policymakers to recognize the National Fire Academy’s critical role and advocate for its continued funding and support. Our safety — and the safety of the communities we serve — depends on it.”
— Frank Leeb, FDNY deputy assistant chief - “The NFA is a powerhouse for the fire service. It’s not a ‘nice to have.’ It is the one avenue we have to bring people from all over the country to learn from and with each other. If we want to continue to have one of the premier fire services in the world, we need to have the National Fire Academy.”
— Chief (ret.) Marc Bashoor, FireRescue1 senior fire advisor
Read more about the cancellation of National Fire Academy in-person classes:
- ‘Firefighter safety transcends politics’: A call to restore NFA training
Let us not forget that beyond its academic contributions, the National Fire Academy also houses the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial - ‘This is a travesty’: Fire service leaders react to NFA training cancellations
Goldfeder, Bashoor, Moore-Merrell, Leeb and other U.S. fire service leaders urge reaching out to elected officials about the importance of National Fire Academy programs - ‘Restore classes immediately’: Fire service leaders urge action after NFA training cancellations
Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell, Chief Josh Waldo and Chief Marc Bashoor offer potential solutions that would accommodate both training and program reviews - CNN video: FireRescue1 senior advisor addresses impact of NFA training cancellations
Chief Marc Bashoor told Wolf Blitzer that the training pause will lead to a “degradation in our services” - Fire service under attack: It’s time to fight for our NFA and our members
“The closure of the National Fire Academy is ridiculous,” says Chief Caughey, urging fire service leaders to take action - Congress, fire officials warn FEMA: Halting National Fire Academy training puts public safety at risk
Former fire administrators warn that suspending in-person NFA firefighter training weakens disaster preparedness and emergency response
WATCH | Fire service leaders react to the cancellation of NFA in-person training
