Fire hoses at the ready. (Photo courtesy the U.S. Fire Administration)
Canceling classes at the National Fire Academy may not be the biggest of the many federal budget cuts made by the Trump administration in recent weeks, but David Durstine says that doesn’t mean it won’t have impact.
“The cancellation of these classes really has a detrimental effect on the entire fire service,” said Durstine, the vice president of fire and government sales at IDEX Fire & Safety Experience.
His comments come just a week after the Federal Emergency Management Agency issued an indefinite cancellation of all classes at the academy that require a federally funded instructor, leaving just a few “click-and-play” online classes.
Durstine said the closing the academy in Emmitsburg, which trained firefighters from across the country, has “taken away foundational education” from fire leaders of the future.
“This may be a quick little move for, maybe, what is the efficient use of dollars, potentially but… what does it do to the local communities in the remote areas of the country that rely heavily on the foundational education provided by the National Fire Academy,” Durstine said.
The abrupt closure came without warning in a March 7 email and took effect immediately. There have been no announcements about the future of classes at the academy since, but the outlook seems grim. A senior official at the Department of Homeland Security, which FEMA falls under, said Tuesday that travel costs were a reason behind the cancellation.
“The bottom line is we are no longer paying for non-employee travel,” the official said. “We are only authorizing travel for mission critical programs, this isn’t one.”
It’s not just experts who are concerned about the impact of cancellations at the academy — a letter signed by 64 member of the U.S. House and Senate members is demanding answers from FEMA. That letter was led by Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Rep. April McClain Delaney (D-6th), and signed by every Democrat in the Maryland delegation.
“Firefighters and other first responders lay their lives on the line every day for our communities,” the letter said. “The abrupt cancellation of courses has affected dozens of firefighters, educators, and local departments that rely on the National Fire Academy’s and Emergency Management Institute’s resources, classes, and expertise to promote safe and effective fire prevention, enhance firefighter safety, and reduce the loss of life and property to fire, floods, and other natural disasters.”
The lawmakers pressed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for answers to several specific questions including why the classes were canceled, how long the review process will take and whether there will be reimbursement for canceled classes that were already paid for.
McClain Delaney said the influence of the classes can be seen in fire departments across the country.
“Tens of thousands of firefighters have actually gone through training there,” McClain Delaney said, adding that fire supervisors across America said that the training is “incredibly valuable.”
“It’s unbelievable that they would make these cuts and really undermine our preparedness as a country,” McClain Delaney said.