Last Thursday, Senator Chris Van Hollen and U.S. Representative April McClain Delaney announced the reopening of the National Fire Training Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
Van Hollen and Delaney pushed back against the Administration’s decision to end training for fire personnel from all over the United States.
Originally declared “nonessential” by its parent agency, classes will resume in June after a ten week pause.
The Maryland Congressional representatives lobbied 60 of their colleagues to ask for answers about the decision to cancel training classes and to demand the resumption of classes. Senator Angela Alsobrooks added her support to the effort.
Senator Van Hollen stated, “The National Fire Academy, based in Emmitsburg, provides critical training to first responders across the country – ensuring our firefighters have the tools they need to save lives. The Trump Administration’s decision to abruptly cancel these classes made no sense – and what’s more, it risked significant harm to our communities and those who protect them.”
Representative McClain Delaney added, “The rash decision to close the academy wasted valuable resources and undermined our communities’ safety, resilience, and response efforts. Thank you to Senator Van Hollen and dozens of our Congressional colleagues for joining in the fight to preserve the important mission of the National Fire Academy and the need for educational resources for our first responders.”
Senator Angela Alsobrooks celebrated the reinstatement, “Our efforts came to fruition with today’s announcement that the ban has been lifted. I will always stand up for the brave men and women at the National Fire Academy,”
The National Fire Academy (NFA) is the premier federal fire training and education institution in the United States, operated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The 107-acre Emmitsburg Academy is one of three training centers in the United States. According to the NFA, more than 100 thousand firefighters train at the academies every year.
