“There’s no better time than now to watch the Fire Service One Voice message being exercised,” notes former U.S. Fire Administrator Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell on this week’s podcast. The collective message from fire service leaders and organizations focuses on the importance of the National Fire Academy – an institution that, effective Friday, was shuttered for all in-person and instructor-led training, FEMA says as part of a review of programs and funding. Along with Dr. Moore-Merrell, IAFC President Fire Chief Josh Waldo and FireRescue1 Senior Fire Advisor Chief Marc Bashoor call for the immediate reopening of the NFA and, quite simply, ask the Administration to share the plan here – after all, fire service leaders could certainly help in the effort. Furthermore, they reiterate that while “no one wants waste, fraud and abuse,” there are ways to review funding without shuttering critical training programs. This is not about politics; it’s about service.
Additional resources:
- ‘This is a travesty’: Fire service leaders react to NFA training cancellations
- IAFC calls on Trump administration to reopen the National Fire Academy
- The big picture: FEMA, DOGE and your local fire department
- National strategy documents from U.S. Fire Administrator’s Summit on Fire Prevention and Control: 2024, 2023, 2022
IAFC members can contact their Senators and Representatives and ask them to reopen the NFA. Additionally, the CFSI has launched an Action Center here.
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