BOARD OF VISITORS FOR THE NATIONAL FIRE ACADEMY March 5, 2020

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Department of Homeland Security

Federal Emergency Management Agency

U.S. Fire Administration

Board of Visitors for the National Fire Academy

March 5, 2020

Building H, Room 300

Teleconference

Attendees:

The following members of the Board of Visitors for the National Fire Academy were in attendance 

for the teleconference.

John S. Butler 

Fire Chief

Fairfax County Department of Fire and Rescue 

12099 Government Center Parkway 

Fairfax, VA 22033 

Eriks J. Gabliks (Vice Chair)

Director

Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards 

and Training 

4190 Aumsville Highway 

Salem, OR 97317 

Dr. Patricia A. McIntosh 

Emergency Management Coordinator 

College of the Mainland 

1200 N. Amburn Road 

Texas City, TX 77591 

Andrew K. Pantelis (Chair) 

District Vice President

International Association of Fire Fighters 

3060 Mitchellville Road, Suite 217 

Bowie, MD 20716 

Chief Kevin D. Quinn 

First Vice Chair

National Volunteer Fire Council

7852 Walker Drive, Suite 375 

Greenbelt, MD 20770 

Thomas E. Romaine, Jr. 

Smokechaser

Minnesota DNR-Forestry

644 Pfaender Drive 

New Ulm, MN 56073 

George M. Stapleton 

Operations Chief

South Carolina State Fire

141 Monticello Trail 

Columbia, SC 29203 
BOARD OF VISITORS FOR THE NATIONAL FIRE ACADEMY March 5, 2020

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Federal Emergency Management Agency/U.S. Fire Administration/National Fire Academy 

(FEMA/USFA/NFA) staff in attendance:

Chief Keith Bryant, Fire Administrator, USFA

Mr. Stephen Dean, Branch Chief, Response Branch, NFA

Mr. Ken Farmer; Chief; Education, Training and Partnerships Branch; NFA

Mr. Al Fluman; Director; USFA/NETC Management, Operations and Support Services Division

Ms. Debbie Gartrell-Kemp, Program Support Specialist

Chief Tonya L. Hoover, Deputy Fire Administrator, USFA; Superintendent, NFA

Dr. Kirby Kiefer, Deputy Superintendent, NFA

Chief Richard Patrick, Director, National Fire Programs Division

Ms. Michelle Spielman, Administrative Assistant

Ms. Tiffany Warren, Branch Chief; Training, Administration, Planning and Analysis Branch; NFA

Convene Board of Visitors Meeting/Welcome/FACA Training

Mr. Andrew Pantelis, Chairperson, Board of Visitors

Chief Keith Bryant, Fire Administrator, U.S. Fire Administration

Chief Tonya L. Hoover, Superintendent, National Fire Academy

Dr. Kirby Kiefer, Deputy Superintendent, National Fire Academy

Dr. Kirby Kiefer welcomed the board with opening remarks:

Good morning, and welcome to this meeting of the USFA/NFA Board of Visitors. This meeting 

is being conducted under regulations outlined in the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA).

I want to thank you for volunteering your time, diligent work and also for completing the necessary 

security and ethical processes to serve as Special Government Employees.

My name is Kirby Kiefer. I am Deputy Superintendent of the NFA and will be serving as 

Designated Federal Official at this meeting. My role is to serve as liaison between the Board of 

Visitors and the USFA. I am also responsible for ensuring that all the provisions of the FACA are 

met regarding the operation of the Board of Visitors. You know Ms. Debbie Gartrell-Kemp and 

Ms. Michelle Spielman, who took the place of Ms. Ellen Newlin, whose work with FACA officials 

at FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have made this meeting possible and 

made my work immeasurably easier and more productive. I want to thank them officially.

Meeting the ethics and disclosure requirements is critical to our operation; this year’s briefing will 

be coming soon by our ethics lawyer and FACA officer so that you understand those ethics 

requirements.

We have an agenda as published in the Federal Register. The times listed are approximate, and we 

may need to adjust the agenda to accommodate schedules. We must ensure that time for 

deliberations is adequate and that the public has ample time to make comments. 
BOARD OF VISITORS FOR THE NATIONAL FIRE ACADEMY March 5, 2020

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Dextera/ZAI support staff will be taking notes and will compile minutes. Minutes will include 

matters discussed and conclusions reached by the board. As Designated Federal Official, I am 

responsible for preparing the minutes and ensuring that they are certified by the meeting chair 

within 90 calendar days. All comments and notes will be available for public review forever.

I will now turn the meeting over to Mr. Andrew Pantelis, Chair of the Board of Visitors.

Mr. Pantelis called the meeting to order. Mr. Pantelis explained that he was in an area with a lot 

of background noise; therefore, he will be placing his call on mute. He asked Dr. Kiefer to handle 

going through the agenda items. Mr. Pantelis asked for the attendance to be recorded. Ms. GartrellKemp took attendance, and she reminded everyone to always state their name before talking.

Chief Keith Bryant spoke on behalf of the USFA and indicated the following:

• USFA Deputy Fire Administrator, Dr. Denis Onieal, retired, and Chief Tonya Hoover was 

selected as Dr. Onieal’s replacement. He is happy to have Chief Hoover in that position. 

Chief Bryant explained that Chief Hoover will now have an increase in duties as she will 

remain superintendent of the NFA until the hiring process, which has already been started, 

is complete for her position.

• There was a significant increase in the budget. Chief Bryant is happy about this; however, 

in looking at the details, Chief Bryant does not see it as an increase since it will be depleted 

by the salary increases, the reinstatement of the state fire training grants, and deferred 

maintenance items.

- Chief Bryant explained that last year there was no direct language to provide state 

grants and that other budget items took priority. This year the language returned; 

however, the funding was not provided and will come from the NFA budget. Chief 

Bryant further explained that he was not consulted during the process and hopes to 

be involved in the future. He stated that difficult decisions will be made to adjust 

the NFA budget, as providing the grant money will reduce funds available for other 

items such as NFA programs. Chief Bryant is hopeful that additional funding for 

the state grants will be added in the future.

- Chief Bryant said that the funds needed for salary and benefits are more significant 

this year. Main agencies were briefed last week on this topic, although what will be 

impacted is not known at this time. 

• Chief Bryant explained that some Program Decision Options (PDOs) will be submitted to

request money for specific things not funded. He noted that PDOs can be used for things 

such as the wildland work and specific facilities projects. Chief Bryant added that the 

performance guidance specifically directs FEMA/NFA to assist with wildland fire

education, and this is a positive step forward since there is typically no mention of 

FEMA/NFA. The directive creates an awareness that additional funding will be needed.
BOARD OF VISITORS FOR THE NATIONAL FIRE ACADEMY March 5, 2020

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Mr. Eriks Gabliks asked Chief Bryant if he had any advice for the Board of Visitors board members 

that will be attending a meeting next week regarding the update of the “America Burning” report. 

Chief Bryant indicated that it has been 17 years since the last update and that nationwide issues 

should be discussed as well as what the industry believes we need in order to address them. He 

will be a part of this work being completed and is looking forward to it. Chief Bryant also indicated 

that a stand-alone specific version will be an important part of this so that a document can be given 

to policymakers to make them aware of the situation.

Chief Hoover spoke about the open positions for superintendent and deputy superintendent of the 

NFA. She indicated that the application period for the deputy superintendent is complete, and a 

list of eligible candidates should be received next week. The candidates will go through the 

interview process before a recommendation is provided for whom to offer the position. Chief 

Hoover indicated that Dr. Kiefer will continue in the position until the process is complete, and 

she thanked him for staying. Chief Hoover stated that the superintendent position will close in the 

middle of March, once it has been open for 28 days. She explained that the process for this position 

differs from the deputy superintendent and takes considerably longer. Individuals will go through 

a senior executive service (SES) panel interview. The SES panel will submit highly qualified 

candidates to the USFA. Panel interviews will be conducted by the USFA. Chief Bryant will do 

one-on-one interviews. 

Chief Hoover also reported on new staff:

• Ms. Tiffany Warren replaced Ms. Terry Gladhill as chief for the Training, Administration, 

Planning and Analysis Branch. Ms. Warren has worked in other areas of FEMA and is a

great resource. Chief Hoover looks forward to everyone meeting her.

• Ms. Tomeika Evans has been hired under the Education, Training and Partnership Branch, 

Mr. Ken Farmer’s area. Ms. Evans is a retired veteran with a bachelor’s degree in 

communications and a master’s degree in educational design, along with experience in the 

online mediated space.

• Chief Hoover also indicated that in the near future there should also be a part-time 

individual to assist Ms. Betty Riffle. 

Chief Hoover stated that state fire training grants’ notice of federal funding opportunities should 

be coming soon.

USFA Data, Research, Prevention and Response

Chief Richard Patrick, Director, National Fire Programs Division

Chief Richard Patrick reported on the following:

• “America Burning”: Chief Patrick stated that this was discussed previously in the meeting; 

however, he would be happy to answer any further questions surrounding this topic. There 

were none.
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• National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS): The last major upgrade was 20 years 

ago, and the next update in the cycle is due January of 2021. A modification is underway 

to update the system’s core service and architecture. The objective is to modernize the 

system, which will also allow for ease in making enhancements. Most changes will be 

behind the scenes. There is also a marketing project underway. A contractor is developing 

a marketing strategy to allow the fire service to better understand what NFIRS data is and 

what it is not, and to educate on the front-end data and how it affects the back-end reports. 

The National Fire Programs division is also working closely with NFA on another data 

warehouse class. This class will allow state NFIRS managers to dive into the warehouse 

and how it works. There was a pilot last fall and currently a lot of momentum around this 

project.

• Pictographs: There are 32 more pictographs on the website.

• Smoke alarms: The upcoming time change is also a good time to change the batteries in 

smoke alarms, upgrade to a new 10-year battery, or better yet, install a new alarm with the 

latest technology that can distinguish between nuisance and real alarms. The National Fire 

Programs division was instrumental in leading the new smoke alarm technology that can

distinguish between nuisance alarms and actual emergencies. Over the next three to five 

years, all alarms should be replaced with this new technology.

• Staff: There is a new staff member who will be working on fire prevention and the Fire is 

Everyone’s FightTM campaign. A second new staff member, who came from the National 

Fire Protection Association, will look at projects and initiatives around loss of life and 

wildland-urban interface (WUI).

Deferred Maintenance and Capital Improvements on the NETC Campus

Mr. Al Fluman, Director, USFA/NETC Management, Operations & Support Services 

Division

Mr. Al Fluman reported on campus projects, indicating the following:

• Current projects (from fiscal year (FY) 19 funding):

- National Emergency Training Center (NETC) main gate/security building: This 

upgrade to campus access is for safety and compliance purposes. Mr. Fluman is 

excited that the project will remove the last trailer on campus. The project will 

include construction of a new security building, in addition to a campus truck 

entrance. Groundbreaking is scheduled for March 31, 2020, with a projected 

completion date of Sept. 30, 2020. The main gate will be closed during this 

construction project.

- Roof replacement, portions of Building B: Construction is now complete.
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- Heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system upgrade, Building H:

Construction is underway and should be completed in approximately six weeks.

- Energy efficient lighting installation, Building N: Construction is underway and 

should be completed by May 2020.

- Campus fire alarm building installation, Building M: Construction is underway and 

should be completed in March 2020.

- Building generator upgrades, Buildings E and L: Completion should occur over the 

next couple of months.

- Energy Management System: Installation throughout campus should be completed 

in May 2020. Mr. Fluman will be able to control heat and air conditioning to all 

rooms and offices from his office.

• FY 20 funded projects:

- Buildings J and O basements renovation/upgrade: This space will be used for 

classrooms and offices. Once complete, staff will be moving from other locations, 

which will free up space to increase campus dormitory room capacity to enhance 

training missions on campus. Dormitory capacity will increase from 426 to 451 

rooms.

- Buildings D and H, and Building E stairwell roof replacement: Project due to 

deterioration and unsafe conditions.

- Building L renovation: This is a past-due deferred maintenance and will be 

completed during the first six months of 2021.

- Building S roof solar panel installation: This project is part of the energy efficient 

campus initiative, working toward net-zero electricity. The final contract was 

recently awarded.

- Campus fire alarm system, Buildings B and H: Upgrades continue to improve the

campus building fire alarm system to meet code.

- Campus information technology (IT) infrastructure assessment: A third-party 

assessment will be conducted to assist with future construction and installation 

improvements. A request to totally upgrade campus IT, including fiber, telephone, 

etc., will be submitted to FEMA headquarters. The request will attempt to secure 

funding to allow upgrades to work on issues over a period of time.
BOARD OF VISITORS FOR THE NATIONAL FIRE ACADEMY March 5, 2020

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National Fire Academy Updates on Developments, Deliveries, Staffing and 

Admissions

Chief Tonya L. Hoover, Superintendent

NFA Staff

Mr. Stephen Dean reported the following:

• Leadership and Community Risk Reduction Branch: The arson rewrite continues. There 

are two pilots currently in progress and three courses still in development.

• Executive Fire Officer (EFO) Program: The M1 cohort is complete and enrolled in the 

thesis portion. Cohort A will be on campus soon for their first resident offering of the new 

program. 

• NFIRS: Changes will be incorporated into courses. This will be completed with the least 

amount of confusion possible.

• Hazmat courses: There are two courses under development.

• Course review: There are 14 six-day courses for which the hours may be able to be reduced 

down to five days. These changes will occur slowly.

• American Council on Education (ACE): A review is coming up in November. There have 

been 25 current courses identified for review. Fourteen courses that were done in 2017 will 

be sent for another ACE review, and seven courses that are being revised will need a new 

name and/or course number. There are 12 new courses that will go through the process.

Dr. Kiefer added that feedback has been solicited from the first EFO Program group, and they 

were very generous with their feedback. There are some items that are reasonable and changes can 

be made. Some feedback is in regard to the rigorous nature of the course. Dr. Kiefer asked that if 

anyone is approached, to know that there are things that can be fixed; however, the program is 

very rigorous as intended.

Mr. Farmer reported the following:

• A new mediated software is needed to replace D2L. D2L is a Canadian-based company,

and the government looks down on that. The search has been narrowed down to three or 

four, and a request for information will be completed. 

• On-campus State Fire Training Director training will be held July 29-30.

• EFO Program mediated courses are currently posted.

• There are five mediated courses being worked on by Mr. Dave Donohue.

• Fourteen state weekends and two national state weekends are scheduled for 2020.
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Ms. Warren reported that the bidding for July, August and September instructors occurs between 

March 1 and April 1. The results should be posted by May 1. Dr. Kiefer added information 

regarding the background on the bidding process. He explained that approximately every five

years, the procurement office looks at the system to ensure it is fair. Although the system is fair, 

an internal suggestion was made on how to document when the lowest bid is not the bid awarded. 

This documentation will make things clearer when the bid is awarded based on best value instead 

of lowest bid, which allows top-notch instructors to be used.

The following questions were asked:

Mr. Gabliks referred to the previous report from Mr. Fluman, asking if part of the IT infrastructure 

long-term strategy is to have cloud-based distance learning. Mr. Fluman responded yes; however, 

he advised that this may not happen. Mr. Gabliks followed up by asking if there are any short-term 

solutions for the IT infrastructure, such as splitting the infrastructure into two: one for the students 

to use and one for staff. Mr. Fluman indicated that he is hoping to have separation in the next 

couple of years. Dr. Kiefer added that one current short-term solution that has been working is a 

computer that is not hooked up to anything that was placed in a classroom. This computer allows

students to use a thumb drive to share information. Mr. Gabliks stated that he wanted everyone to 

be aware that his question is not a criticism to staff, and he understands that there are network 

limitations that are hard to fix. Additionally, Mr. Gabliks spoke about the EFO Program academic 

rigor feedback. He indicated that this is the highest level of education at the NFA, and the goal of 

the new program was to make it harder to achieve. He asked if additional information can be shared 

during the on-campus meeting this year. Dr. Kiefer stated that at that time there will be a lot more 

data since there has only been one class so far, and additional feedback can be provided.

Mr. George Stapleton asked if the NFIRS subcommittee will become more active to address the 

changes being made or if it should be eliminated. Chief Hoover stated that there is a place for the 

subcommittee. One place moving forward will be within the budget area to produce PDOs. She 

stated that their assistance will be needed to keep the changes moving forward and could entail 

gathering information throughout the process in order to get the appropriate funding. Chief Hoover 

was confident that the subcommittee will have things to do as well as provide input. Mr. Stapleton 

also said that he was in agreement with Mr. Gabliks’ comments regarding the new EFO Program. 

Chief Hoover provided some additional information on the feedback. She indicated that the 

comments ranged from time constraints to doing tasks that did not seem related to an academic 

program. Chief Hoover stated that the goal is to make the program something the students can 

actively participate in and be what the Board of Visitors want to allow the students to be successful. 

Dr. Kiefer asked that if there are any interactions with the students, to refer them to the NFA, but 

also try to obtain some details of what can be done better to make improvements. Mr. Gabliks 

added that he recently witnessed facilitated learning in some classes, and the student interaction 

was tremendous. Dr. Kiefer kindly expressed thanks for the feedback.

Dr. Patricia McIntosh informed Dr. Kiefer that she would like to hear more about the EFO Program 

feedback being received. She explained that she was at the Texas Engineering Extension Service 

(TEEX) Leadership Development Symposium about a month ago and spoke with one of the 

speakers afterward because he referred to being an old-school EFO, not part of the “EFO-lite stuff”

being done now. Dr. McIntosh explained that she feels positive about the feedback regarding the 
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new EFO Program being too rigorous. She hopes the program is a balance between being engaging

and challenging on one hand, and built for immediate and long-term success on the other.

Board of Visitors Subcommittee Activity Reports

Professional Development Initiative

Dr. Patricia McIntosh, Chairperson

Chief John Butler, Co-Chair

Dr. McIntosh indicated that she was unable to attend the last Board of Visitors meeting so she will 

be backing up a bit on the content provided in order to provide context. She reported the following:

• Last September the NFA hosted the National Professional Development Leadership 

Workshop from September 20-22. Various organizations attempted to consider the current 

state and future needs of professional development in the fire service. Unfortunately, most 

of the discussion was about the meaning of “professional.” The positive outcome of the 

meeting was a large list of individuals who volunteered to collaborate on identifying a path 

forward. The list of volunteers may need to be reduced in order to function efficiently.

• Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE) leadership met on January 30 to 

discuss the future of FESHE. (It is important to note that FESHE is only one facet of 

professional development.) The call and correspondence surrounding the call emphasized 

the need for clarity and consistency regarding the mission, leadership, planning and 

delivery of FESHE efforts and meetings.

• FESHE curriculum work groups will meet this month at NETC. NFA is providing the space 

and lodging, but is not directing the meeting. Groups and meeting dates are as follows:

- Emergency Medical Services Management Curriculum work group: March 14-15.

- High School Pathways, Associate, Post-Secondary, Graduate, and Aircraft Rescue 

and Firefighting: March 20-22.

• Dr. Kiefer and Mr. Michael McCabe have been working on a document that summarizes 

the NFA’s position and efforts on professional development. This is nearing completion 

and should be released to the Board of Visitors soon.

• The Board of Visitors is being asked to weigh in on the role of the USFA in fostering 

professional development: What role does the NFA serve in a changing training and 

educational environment? Are there activities that are no longer needed or appropriate? 

Are there gaps that are not being served?

• Once we have seen the professional development overview from Dr. Kiefer and Mr. 

McCabe, with input from Chief Bryant and the feedback on “America Burning” update 

efforts, Dr. McIntosh would like to consider the creation of some sort of focused 

effort/team/ad hoc group to inventory and investigate the state of professional development 

and the path forward.
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Dr. Kiefer stated that the world has changed and other educational institutions are now doing some 

of the same teachings as the NFA. The NFA needs to focus on the things that personnel are

uniquely qualified to do. The Board of Visitors, students and citizens can help shape the future. A 

fact sheet can provide a common understanding/baseline to know where to go in the future. Chief 

Hoover added that a large group of people at the meeting stood up showing they are a very 

passionate group. She indicated that a wide range of experienced people need to be involved in 

order to create a diversified group that will bring in a wide range of ideas.

National Fire Incident Report System

Mr. George Stapleton, Chairperson

Chief Kevin Quinn, Co-Chair

Mr. Stapleton indicated that there is no report at this time due to the committee still being inactive 

at this point.

Final Comments/Adjournment

Mr. Gabliks referred to Dr. Kiefer’s comment surrounding the uniqueness of what the NFA does. 

He stated that the NFA is a place that brings career and volunteer personnel together into one 

setting and tries to blend education and training. Mr. Gabliks stated that there is a balance created 

in doing this, and decisions will need to be made on how to continue the education model and keep 

people engaged and looking forward to things.

Dr. McIntosh agreed with Mr. Gabliks’ comments and indicated that the NFA and the WUI 

services are not much different.

Chief John Butler thanked Dr. McIntosh for her report and stated that he is excited to learn more 

about professional development.

Mr. Gabliks congratulated Chief Hoover on behalf of the Board of Visitors, and he thanked Dr. 

Kiefer for staying until his replacement is hired. Mr. Gabliks motioned for adjournment which was 

seconded by Mr. Stapleton.

Meeting adjourned at 2:04 Eastern Time.