BOARD OF VISITORS FOR THE NATIONAL FIRE ACADEMY December 13, 2023

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Department of Homeland Security

Federal Emergency Management Agency

U.S. Fire Administration

Board of Visitors for the National Fire Academy

December 13, 2023

Zoom Teleconference

Attendees:

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

for the meeting.

John S. Butler (Chair)

Fire Chief 

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department

12099 Government Center Parkway

Fairfax, VA 22033

Steven Dubay (Vice Chair)

Deputy Chief

Colorado Springs Fire Department

375 Printers Parkway

Colorado Springs, CO 80910

Dr. Michael Macey

Director of Public Safety

St. John’s College

1160 Camino de Cruz Blanca

Santa Fe, NM 87505

Tiffanye S. Wesley

Deputy Fire Chief

Arlington County Fire Department

2100 Clarendon Blvd. Suite 400

Arlington, VA 22201

W. Nelson Bauer, Ph.D.

Deputy Fire Chief

Orange Beach Fire & Rescue Dept.

P.O. Box 458

Orange Beach, AL 36561

Megan Schuth, Ph.D.

Battalion Chief/Fire Marshal

Denton Fire Department

332 E. Hickory St.

Denton, TX 76201

Scott Somers, Ph.D.

Professor

Arizona State University

10157 East Palladium Drive

Mesa, AZ 85212

Edward Davis

Executive Director

National Association of Hispanic 

Firefighters

3114 Flameleaf St.

Garland, TX 75044
BOARD OF VISITORS FOR THE NATIONAL FIRE ACADEMY December 13, 2023

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

(FEMA/USFA/NFA) staff in attendance:

Mr. Eriks Gabliks, Superintendent, NFA

Ms. Deb Gartrell-Kemp, Program Support Specialist

Chief Tonya L. Hoover, Deputy Fire Administrator, USFA

Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell, U.S. Fire Administrator, USFA

Mr. Michael Pritchard, Branch Chief, Prevention and Special Operations Branch, USFA

Ms. Michelle Spielman, Secretary

Mr. James (Vince) Hodge, Director, Management, Operations and Support Services (MOSS)

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

NFA

Mr. Richard Sexton, Branch Chief, Prevention Branch, NFA

Ms. Tammy Pimentel-Matthews, Branch Chief, Response and Special Operations Branch, NFA

Others in attendance/public attendees:

Ms. Sarahjane Call, Office of Partnership and Engagement/Committee Management Office, 

Management and Program Analyst

Convene Board of Visitors Meeting/Welcome

Chief John S. Butler, Chairperson, Board of Visitors

Ms. Sarahjane Call, Management and Program Analyst, Office of Partnership and 

Engagement/Committee Management Office

Mr. Eriks Gabliks, Superintendent, National Fire Academy

Chief Tonya Hoover, Deputy Fire Administrator, U.S. Fire Administration

Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell, U.S. Fire Administrator, U.S. Fire Administration

Mr. Eriks Gabliks welcomed everyone to this meeting of the USFA/NFA Board of Visitors. The

meeting was being conducted under regulations outlined in the Federal Advisory Committee Act 

(FACA). Everyone is a Special Government Employee. Mr. Gabliks served as the Designated 

Federal Officer for the meeting to make sure everyone followed the federal requirements.

Mr. Gabliks stated that Ms. Deb Gartrell-Kemp is the contact person. She is the one who collects 

everyone’s information and sets the meetings up. Ms. Michelle Spielman was Ms. Gartrell-Kemp’s

backup, and Ms. Jennifer Vanover would be taking notes for the meeting.

Mr. Gabliks stated that the Board of Visitors agenda is published in the Federal Register. The times 

listed are approximate, and they might need to adjust the schedule as needed. There should be 

enough time scheduled for all speakers, comments and questions, as well as for interaction. Mr. 

Gabliks stated that under the FACA requirements, anyone wanting to send something in to be 

reviewed had the ability to do so. There were no comments sent in from the public.

Dextera/Leading Solutions support staff, Ms. Vanover, would be taking notes and would compile 

minutes. The minutes will include matters discussed and conclusions reached by the board. The 
BOARD OF VISITORS FOR THE NATIONAL FIRE ACADEMY December 13, 2023

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minutes would be prepared and sent to the meeting chair within 90 calendar days. All comments 

and notes would be available for public review forever; they would be archived. Mr. Gabliks 

advised everyone to be sure to state their name before speaking so the minutes could be recorded 

accurately. If anyone has notes, they should email them to Ms. Gartrell-Kemp so she can forward 

them to Ms. Vanover. Mr. Gabliks stated that for the meeting order they would follow Robert’s 

Rules for motions. 

Mr. Gabliks convened this meeting of the USFA/NFA Board of Visitors. 

Mr. Gabliks had all the new members raise their right hand and repeat the Oath of Office after him. 

He then congratulated all the new members and thanked them for volunteering their time to the 

Board of Visitors. Mr. Gabliks then turned the meeting over to Chief John Butler.

Chief Butler congratulated the new members, welcomed everyone to the meeting and called the 

meeting to order. Chief Butler turned the meeting over to Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell.

Dr. Moore-Merrell congratulated everyone and thanked them for serving the Board of Visitors. 

She stated that this Board of Visitors is very important to the NFA. Everyone and everything must 

be relevant, and they need to keep up with the challenges faced in the field and know the type of 

officer development they need at all levels. Dr. Moore-Merrell stated that the USFA will continue 

to be relevant, and they are working very hard to do so. The NFA has to be the space where they 

develop not only today’s officers but the next generation of leaders within the fire service and 

make them better. They will ask the participants’ supervisors if they believe that the NFA made 

them better. She stated that she wants everyone to be able to say yes when they are asked if they 

are better because of their experience at the NFA. She hopes all the members keep that in the front 

of their minds. Dr. Moore-Merrell turned the meeting back over to Chief Butler.

Chief Butler thanked Dr. Moore-Merrell for her support and then turned the meeting over to Chief 

Tonya Hoover.

Chief Hoover stated that Dr. Moore-Merrell did such a great job that she would just like to 

welcome and thank everyone for their time and support.

Chief Butler thanked Chief Hoover. Chief Butler thanked Mr. Steven Dubay for his help as vice 

chair and thanked everyone who helps with the Board of Visitors. Chief Butler then had the new 

and current members of the Board of Visitors introduce themselves. 

Mr. Gabliks mentioned that the items on the agenda can change depending on people’s schedules. 

The Board of Visitors members should have received an email from Mr. Dave Brummett who is 

the legal counsel on campus. Mr. Gabliks stated that Ms. Sarahjane Call wanted to say a few words. 

Chief Butler turned the meeting over to Ms. Call. 

Ms. Call unfortunately could not get her microphone to work. In the chat she introduced herself 

and thanked everyone for their hard work throughout the year. She is grateful for all of the Board 

of Visitors accomplishments each year and looks forward to seeing what the upcoming year brings.
BOARD OF VISITORS FOR THE NATIONAL FIRE ACADEMY December 13, 2023

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Chief Butler then turned the meeting over to Mr. Michael Pritchard for his briefing on the National 

Fire and Emergency Medical Services Division (NFEMSD) and the National Fire Data and 

Research Center (NFDRC) Division.

National Fire and Emergency Medical Services Division and National Fire Data and 

Research Center Division

Mr. Michael Pritchard, Branch Chief, Prevention and Special Operations Branch, 

USFA

Mr. Pritchard stated that he is the branch chief for the Prevention and Special Operations Branch,

which is in NFEMSD, and he is also the acting branch chief for the Research Branch, which is in 

the NFDRC. He will give updates on both divisions.

Mr. Pritchard stated that the Prevention Branch has a lot of outreach projects going on. There are 

a couple of data visualization tools that they are working on. One is the Home Fire Fatalities and 

Social Vulnerability Index Explorer tool that is available through the FEMA Geospatial Data 

Center. They are working to add the National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS)

data into the platform. There is a wildland urban interface (WUI) Awareness Map that will show 

where the WUI issues are and how people can take action to improve their risk in that environment. 

Mr. Pritchard discussed the continuing partnership with Sesame Street. There are a lot of different 

documents they have with them. They will be working on more projects with them in the near 

future. 

Mr. Pritchard mentioned the “Fire is Everyone’s FightTM” project and how they want to get more 

people involved. They are trying to work with some colleges to do a project with their marketing 

classes on Fire is Everyone’s Fight. 

Mr. Pritchard stated that the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Branch is new. Mr. Dave 

Millstein is the branch chief for the EMS Branch and the National Fire Data Center (NFDC). Mr. 

Pritchard explained how they went from 3 branches to 4. They are looking to hire a division 

director for NFDRC. They will continue to build the EMS Branch and try to get more funding. 

They are increasing engagement with their partners and stakeholder groups, such as the National 

Association of State EMS Officials, the National EMS Advisory Council, and the Federal 

Interagency Committee on EMS. EMS is approximately 66% of the calls in the fire service. 

Chief Butler asked if the Board of Visitors could get a report of updates every quarter or so on the 

EMS Branch. Mr. Pritchard replied that the goals and objectives are being developed and it is a 

work in progress. They have a Program Decision Option (PDO) request to get more funding for 

the EMS Branch. He will look into getting that information to Chief Butler and the Board of 

Visitors.

Mr. Dubay asked if Mr. Millstein’s role was permanent or if he is in an acting position. Mr. 

Pritchard replied that Mr. Millstein is the EMS Branch Chief and the Acting Branch Chief for the 

NFDC.
BOARD OF VISITORS FOR THE NATIONAL FIRE ACADEMY December 13, 2023 

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Mr. Dubay asked if Mr. Pritchard could elaborate on what they are doing with Sesame Street. Mr. 

Pritchard explained that they have a lot of products going on with Sesame Street. There are the fire 

prevention color and learn activity booklets and family guides that are very popular. They have 

those in both English and Spanish. They want to create a wildland version of the activity booklets. 

Mr. Edward Davis asked if any other branches use Sesame Street. Mr. Pritchard replied that the 

Prevention and Special Operations Branch is the branch that does the outreach part. 

Dr. Scott Somers asked if Mr. Pritchard was familiar with the American Red Cross (ARC)

Pillowcase Project. Mr. Pritchard replied that he was not. Dr. Somers explained that the Pillowcase 

Project started out like the Sesame Street project. The goals are to educate on family preparedness, 

safety risks, local hazards and coping skills. They have a pillowcase that kids can color, and they 

have created an entire curriculum around all-hazards and disaster response. Dr. Somers stated that 

he could send a link with the template on it to Mr. Pritchard. Mr. Pritchard replied that he 

appreciated that, and he would take a look at it. He stated that they do have a partnership with the 

ARC. 

Dr. Michael Macey asked if the WUI mapping was on the Environmental Systems Research 

Institute (ESRI) platform and how will that work with the insurance carriers. Mr. Pritchard replied 

that it is on the ESRI platform. He explained that they were careful not to make it a risk map; it is 

an awareness map. They are trying to build awareness of where the built environment meets 

wildland and show it in a picture form.

Mr. Pritchard stated that the NFDC did a 2023 National Fire Data Week in May, and those videos 

are now available at https://www.usfa.fema.gov/about/usfa-events/2023-05-15-national-fire-dataweek/. They are also working on some data visualization tools to be more engaged. The 2022 

National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) data Public Data Release is now available on 

OpenFEMA. The link for that is https://www.fema.gov/about/openfema/data-sets/fema-usfa-nfirsannual-data. There were 31.7 million incidents reported from more than 22,500 fire departments. 

Compared to 2021, that is a 9% increase in the number of incidents, with approximately 200 more 

reporting fire departments. Mr. Pritchard explained that there is a lot going on with NERIS, but he 

does not have an update at this time. There is a webinar that will be coming out with updates on 

that. The link for that webinar is https://web.cvent.com/event/64c9603b-c040-4b3f-b314-

421fb7cb13f4/summary?rt=a106J3KfNUyvG73AaTPt7w. 

Dr. Macey asked if there was anything being done to motivate the departments that do not 

contribute data. Mr. Pritchard replied that they are trying to show people the value of data with the 

outreach that is being done. Chief Hoover added that the NFDC is doing a number of things to 

increase activity. She explained that there are webinars and different events that are being used to 

expand the outreach into the states. 

Mr. Pritchard asked if there were any more questions. There were none.

Chief Butler turned the meeting over to Mr. James Hodge, who is the director of MOSS. 
BOARD OF VISITORS FOR THE NATIONAL FIRE ACADEMY December 13, 2023

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Deferred Maintenance and Capital Improvements on the National Emergency 

Training Center Campus

Mr. James Hodge, Director, Management, Operations and Support Services

Mr. Hodge welcomed the new Board of Visitors members. He will give an update on the work that 

has been done, the work that is in progress and the work that will be done around campus.

Mr. Hodge stated that there are 2 large tenants on campus, the Emergency Management Institute 

(EMI) and NFA, and they fund everything to keep the campus running. There are a lot of work 

orders that get completed throughout the year. There have been approximately 9,304 resident 

students on campus this year between EMI and NFA. MOSS has completed 17 deferred 

maintenance projects for the year. Deferred maintenance projects are improvements that campus 

wants done, but they do not always have the funds to do it. USFA hosted 88 special groups during 

the fiscal year (FY) 2023. A few of the groups that were here were the National Fallen Firefighters

Memorial, U.S. Fire Administrator’s Summit on Fire Prevention and Control and the Assistance 

to Firefighters Grants (AFG) Program. 

Mr. Hodge stated that there was a decontamination station completed at the burn range that has a 

bathroom with a shower. They completed the heating, ventilation and air conditioning repair in the 

Visitor Center and there have been a lot of elevator upgrades. The elevators being up to date are a 

requirement by the Americans with Disabilities Act. A Monaco fire alarm system was installed,

and the last phase was completed this year. They had to repair the underground tunnel by Building 

S because it was failing due to water intrusion. They had to stop parking the apparatus on top of 

the tunnel because the damage was so bad. That project was completed, and they fixed and 

reinforced everything. Mr. Hodge showed some of the pictures of the inside and outside of the 

tunnel where the damage was, and he also showed pictures of the finished project. 

Mr. Hodge stated that there have been some repairs that were unplanned due to wind damage. 

Work was done to repair the bridge by the cabin by Tom’s Creek. 

Mr. Hodge stated that there was a campuswide plumbing project that was completed. They 

replaced 15 post indicator valves, 20 water heaters, 2 heat harvesters, 16 water shut off valves, 100 

dorm room sinks, etc.

Mr. Hodge stated that the campus Wi-Fi upgrade was completed. That entailed 200 access points 

being replaced and 20 switch replacements. 

Chief Butler asked if the upgrade was necessary. Mr. Hodge replied that it was necessary. They

are getting ready to do an update to the information technology infrastructure also.

Mr. Hodge stated that the Building B pavilion has been completed. He showed some pictures of 

the area. It has a fire pit and a cooking range for students to use.

Mr. Dubay asked if there has been a shift in the usage of the cabin because of the pavilion. Mr. 

Hodge replied that he was not sure because they close the cabin in the winter and the pavilion was 

just recently completed. The pavilion will be available throughout the year. Mr. Hodge stated that 

he does expect that the pavilion will be used a lot more.
BOARD OF VISITORS FOR THE NATIONAL FIRE ACADEMY December 13, 2023

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Mr. Hodge stated that they finished the work on the Walk of Honor that gives another 5,000 to 

10,000 clean bricks to be used for inscriptions. There is a heating system underneath that is tied to 

the geothermal network that is on campus. A lot of the things on campus feed off of the geothermal 

system. Mr. Hodge stated that if the community shut down, the National Emergency Training 

Center campus could probably stay up and running for a least a month longer. 

Mr. Hodge stated that they have hired an arborist to come in and cut down some trees that needed 

taken down before they fell down. They have had to replace some of the fence due to the trees,

which was not cheap. 

Mr. Hodge stated that Frederick County does use the helicopter pad that is on campus to medevac 

patients out to York or Baltimore. They made the ramp a little wider and reinforced it so that a 

vehicle can transport a patient to the helicopter faster and easier. He showed some pictures of that. 

Mr. Hodge showed pictures of the parking lots that were paved and restriped. They reinforced the 

access point and sidewalk for where the ladder truck sits by the memorial. They added more 

handicapped parking spots to campus. 

Mr. Hodge stated that the FEMA bus has been a challenge. They use the bus to transport students 

from Baltimore/Washington International airport to and from campus. The repairs on the bus are 

becoming costly. There is a FEMA van that they can use for smaller trips.

Mr. Hodge mentioned some renovations that are going to be done for buildings G and R. They are 

preparing solicitations for bids. They will be putting solar panels on the Visitor Center. The last 

report showed they were pulling electricity that was equivalent to a streetlamp. 

Chief Nelson Bauer asked how it was going with their price predictions and the actual price of the 

project. Mr. Hodge replied that they are always underestimating the price on the projects due to 

inflationary pressures.

Mr. Hodge stated that they had a contract in place with a vendor that provides linen service. They 

now have an area on campus with a laundry facility and can do their own linens. They cut ties with 

the linen service they had. 

Mr. Hodge mentioned that there are several solar picnic tables located near Building S. People can 

plug in their laptops, phones, etc., to charge. There is battery storage in the seats. They have had 

good reviews on that.

Mr. Hodge stated that they are still trying to get funds for a wellness center. He stated that FEMA 

is not interested in building new buildings, but they will focus on the maintenance and upgrades 

on existing buildings. They will continue to push for funding for this project.

Mr. Hodge showed a slide with budgeting information. He also showed the list of projects that will 

be considered for implementation. Mr. Hodge asked if there were any questions.

Mr. Davis asked when the facility was established. Mr. Hodge replied that Building L was built in 

1959. 
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Dr. Megan Schuth asked if the wellness center would be like a mini clinic. Mr. Hodge replied yes. 

Dr. Schuth stated that she liked that idea. Chief Butler stated that the Board of Visitors could help 

bolster some ideas. 

Dr. Somers asked if there has been any demand for solar-powered charging stations on campus. 

Mr. Hodge replied he does not have any information on that. There have been a few requests for 

charging stations, but the campus does not have any currently. Dr. Somers stated that his fire 

station has a solar powered electric vehicle charging station, and they just got their first electric 

fire truck.

Chief Butler asked if there were any more questions, and there were none. Chief Butler turned the 

meeting over to Mr. Gabliks for the NFA updates.

National Fire Academy Updates on Developments, Deliveries, Staffing and 

Admissions

Mr. Eriks Gabliks, Superintendent, National Fire Academy

Mr. Gabliks stated that they were now going to discuss some things that NFA is doing on campus. 

He described to the new members that there are 3 specific issues that will be debriefed at the Board 

of Visitors meetings, and they are training delivery updates, infrastructure (that is, the brick-andmortar operations), and the budget that it takes to run the operations. There are 4 training branches

that will share their updates. Mr. Gabliks started off with the Response and Special Operations 

Branch.

National Fire Academy Updates on Response and Special Operations Branch

Mr. Eriks Gabliks, Superintendent, National Fire Academy

Mr. Gabliks showed a slide that had the staffing information on it. Ms. Tammy Pimentel-Matthews 

is the branch chief. This branch includes Incident Management and Control, Fire and Investigative 

Sciences, EMS, and Hazardous Materials training. There are some vacancies in this area. They 

just filled the position for a program support assistant. There are 2 positions that are vacant because 

2 people got promoted to other positions. They have submitted budget requests to enhance the staff 

and the technology for the fire investigation trainings and the incident management trainings,

including the simulation lab. They have a large volume of students interested in those areas. There 

is a 2 to 3 year waiting period on the courses for those areas. They are waiting for the requests to 

be evaluated. 

Mr. Gabliks stated that they have launched a new 2-day EMS class, “Supervising Emergency 

Medical Services,” that has been offered twice on campus with good results. They will be offering 

this class off campus also. There is “Fire Investigation: Fire as a Weapon,” a new 2-day class that

was delivered for the North Carolina State Weekend. The results were good, but it needs some 

tweaking. With Incident Management Command and Control, they have been delivering updated

courses with the fully functional simulation software.
BOARD OF VISITORS FOR THE NATIONAL FIRE ACADEMY December 13, 2023

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Mr. Dubay asked if the 2 new courses were developed in-house or contracted out. Mr. Gabliks 

replied that it was a blended effort because of the vacancies of staff members.

Mr. Gabliks turned the meeting over to Ms. Tiffany Warren to give some updates on the Training, 

Administration, Planning and Analysis (TAPA) Branch.

National Fire Academy Updates on Training, Administration, Planning and Analysis 

Branch

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

Branch

Ms. Warren stated that the contract was awarded in September to get the chairs in the Building J 

auditorium replaced. It should be done in February, and it should only take 2 weeks. The chairs 

will have USB ports in them. 

Ms. Warren stated that in FY 2023 the NFA Online team had offered 11 resident courses and 3 

online instructor-led courses, 2 of which were new development pilots through Blackboard. In FY

2024 they have offered 7 resident offerings using the Blackboard platform. There were 3 Executive 

Fire Officer (EFO) courses recently added to Blackboard. NFA Online self-study is piloting a new 

self-study course, “Chemical and Physical Properties Terms.” There were 2 additional courses in

the Hazardous Materials curriculum that are being prepared for piloting. The 3 new courses will 

be released in the spring of 2024.

Ms. Warren stated that there have been 12 online offerings of “Fire Investigation: First 

Responders” and they used the self-study platform to administer the course exam to 264 students. 

The 10-day course “Fire Investigation: Essentials” had 4 offerings, and they used the self-study 

platform to administer the midterm and final exam to 119 students.

Ms. Warren stated that they are still monitoring the bids that have been increasing for the contract 

instructors. They do have a predetermined threshold amount, and when they get a bid that is over, 

they will review it and decide whether to accept that bid. They are preparing to analyze the data 

that they have been collecting and will review that to see how they will handle the rising cost for 

the future. They are currently in the process of building their 2025 schedule. She also wanted to 

mention that the TAPA branch is fully staffed, and she is excited about that. Ms. Warren asked if 

there were any questions, and there were none. 

Mr. Gabliks stated that under the Government Performance and Results Act, the TAPA branch 

reports their activities each quarter to FEMA, which then reports to Congress. They survey the 

students who are trained on campus. They will ask them and their employer if they are better 

prepared since they took the classes here on campus. Mr. Gabliks showed the slide with all the 

information that they report out on. They share this information with their staff, the instructors and 

the Board of Visitors.

Mr. Gabliks turned the meeting over to Mr. Richard Sexton to give updates on the Prevention 

Branch.
BOARD OF VISITORS FOR THE NATIONAL FIRE ACADEMY December 13, 2023

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National Fire Academy Updates on Prevention Branch

Mr. Richard Sexton, Branch Chief, Prevention Branch

Mr. Sexton stated that they are getting close to being fully staffed. The WUI training specialist 

position is vacant, and they are trying to find unique ways to recruit for that position. The problem 

they are having is that all the people with the targeted skills and mindset of wildland fires are 

farther than 50 miles away. There will be more updates on that later.

Mr. Sexton stated that in the community risk reduction area, the final course in the Youth 

Firesetting Prevention and Intervention group is in the final stages of completion for being piloted. 

The 2023 curriculum review report has been received and is under review for action. 

Mr. Sexton stated that in the fire prevention area, Mr. Keith Heckler is the training specialist. They 

are reviewing his delivery models and instructional methodology. They are looking into some 

unique ways to deliver the curriculum and to implement the technology to be more hands-on.

Mr. Sexton stated that updates are in progress for all the areas. The WUI training specialist failed 

recruitment so they will be trying again to fill that position.

Mr. Sexton stated that they are really looking at the evaluations that come back. They are looking 

at the student’s feedback and their employer’s feedback. Mr. Sexton asked if there were any 

questions.

Mr. Gabliks stated that he had 2 people ask him about the WUI position. He described the position 

to them, and they asked if telework was an option. Mr. Gabliks replied that the training specialist 

must be on campus when the classes are going on. Both people passed on the opportunity.

National Fire Academy Updates on Leadership and Partnership Branch

Mr. Eriks Gabliks, Superintendent, National Fire Academy

Mr. Gabliks stated that Mr. Lester Rich is serving as the acting branch chief for the Leadership 

and Partnership Branch. They are looking to fill the position for an instructional systems specialist. 

They have an offer on the table for the Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE)

position. They are hoping someone is hired within the next 2 weeks. There is now a vacancy with 

the Leadership/Executive training specialist. Mr. Derrick Sawyer was in that role, but he was 

commuting 2 1/2 hours each way to get to campus. Mr. Sawyer liked being on campus, but the 

commute was too far. There is a list of PDOs that have been submitted that would bolster their 

capabilities with more staff and more resources.

Mr. Gabliks talked about what the Leadership Branch is focused on. There is the EFO Program 

and Managing Officer Program. The Managing Officer Program is on pause. The State Weekends 

are going well, and there will be more talk about FESHE. There is a new course called “Fostering

Belonging in the Fire and Emergency Services.” They offered this class in November as a pilot,

and they had great results. There will be a second offering. This class is designed to help create a 

diverse and inclusive environment throughout the fire service and EMS communities.
BOARD OF VISITORS FOR THE NATIONAL FIRE ACADEMY December 13, 2023

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Mr. Gabliks stated that the slide he showed is a snapshot of where they are currently with the EFO 

Program. There was a graduation last week with 20-plus people walking across the stage, and it 

was the third graduation of the new 2-year model. There have been 4,695 students who have 

graduated from the EFO Program. The application window for the EFO Program will open in 

January for 500 applicants. They expect 500 applications for 144 spots. Mr. Gabliks stated that 

there were some challenges with the EFO class that was on campus last month. They found out 

from the surveys and feedback that there were too many people in that class. They are going to 

cap the number of students in the class to 24. Mr. Gabliks showed the schedule for 2024.

Mr. Gabliks stated that they do have the partnership with Columbia Southern University. There 

has been great feedback. Students have been enrolled already. The slide shows the dates for the 

offerings.

Mr. Gabliks stated that all of the EFO courses are recognized at the graduate level. This is the only 

program within the Department of Homeland Security that is recognized at the graduate level. Mr. 

Gabliks thanked the stakeholders for that.

Mr. Gabliks showed the slide with the current Managing Officer Program information on it. They

are finishing up with the students who have been in the Managing Officer Program. They will keep 

the classes in the Managing Officer Program because they are good classes, but it will not be called 

the Managing Officer Program. The Managing Officer Program is going to be rebuilt. Mr. Gabliks 

showed the slide with the proposed structure of the Managing Officer Program refresh. Once they 

start the design and development, it may change. They went with a hybrid model because 

everyone’s schedules are different and there are people that have traveling issues. It is also open 

to the volunteer communities. 

Mr. Gabliks stated that the On Campus Courses Landing Page has been recreated so it should be 

simple to use. 

Mr. Gabliks mentioned some FY 2023 accomplishments that were achieved. The NFA reached 

more than 68,000 career and volunteer fire and EMS personnel who participated in the FY 2023 

classes that were offered on and off campus, both in-person and virtually. There were 18 courses 

that went to American Council on Education and all of them were approved. The EFO Program is 

the only program at the graduate level. Through the grants program the states delivered 1,305 

classes to 18,323 students. 

Mr. Gabliks stated that campus did host the National Traffic Incident Management Responder 

Training Program Leadership Symposium in October. The North Carolina State Weekend was a 

full house on campus. The Maryland State Weekend will be in February. Grant reviews will be 

going on in March for AFG. The EFO symposium will be on campus in April. Staffing for 

Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant reviews will be on campus in April. The National 

Fallen Firefighters Memorial and the International Association of Fire Chiefs hazardous materials 

roundtable will both be hosted in May. There will be a Women’s Weekend on campus in June.

Mr. Gabliks mentioned that there is a partnership with the International Association of Fire 

Fighters. They have a program called Responding to the Interface, and they are working on a train 
BOARD OF VISITORS FOR THE NATIONAL FIRE ACADEMY December 13, 2023

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the trainer class. There is also a partnership with the Society of Fire Protection Engineers, and 

through an AFG grant they developed a 2-day class. There has been a class offered with the 

partnership of CALFIRE and the U.S. Forest Service on Wildfire Investigations Training for the 

first time. They will do additional classes after the first of the year in California. 

Mr. Gabliks stated that they have a partnership with the National Native American Fire Chiefs 

Association. Having a state weekend for the native fire departments will not work because they 

are in the western states. Those states will get to pick the classes and the locations. They are having 

discussions with Black Chief Officers Committee and the International Association of Black 

Professional Fire Fighters to have a weekend on campus. They are also working with the National 

Association of Hispanic Firefighters to have a weekend on campus or another event. 

Mr. Gabliks stated that the FESHE position is in motion. There is a member meeting on campus 

in January. FESHE has approved 2 new programs and there are 2 new programs under review. 

Once they get a person hired for the position, they will bring back that structure and make sure 

everything is updated. Mr. Gabliks asked if there were any questions.

Dr. Macey asked why the WUI position must be on campus. Mr. Gabliks replied that all the 

training specialists are on campus to interact with the instructional system design specialists. When 

classes are in session the training specialists are also the subject matter experts, and they make 

sure the instructors who are hired are following the materials. If an instructor calls out or cannot 

make it to the class, then the training specialist fills in. Mr. Sexton added that the training 

specialists are the contact people for the students. If there are any issues that come up during the 

time the students are in the classroom, etc., the training specialist is the contact for that.

Mr. Dubay asked if the class that was done with CALFIRE could be done in another state. Mr. 

Gabliks replied that may be possible in the future. The bulk of the instructors are from California,

and CALFIRE is providing those instructors. They would have to factor in the cost and different 

avenues to have that in a different state. Also, all the infrastructure they need to work with is in 

California. 

Ms. Tiffanye Wesley asked if there was a date for the second “Fostering Belonging in the Fire and 

Emergency Services” class. Mr. Gabliks replied that they are still making some changes in the 

curriculum and that they still need to decide on a date. Mr. Gabliks turned the meeting back over 

to Chief Butler.

Chief Butler recommended that they pass on the next couple of topics. Mr. Gabliks explained what 

was happening with the next topics.

Board of Visitors Subcommittee Activity Reports

National Fire Incident Reporting System

Mr. Gabliks stated that NFIRS is going to be going away. There will be no reason to have a 

committee for this. The staff is looking at having a group that is in the health and wellness safety 

arena to take the place of this group. That will be discussed more before the next meeting.
BOARD OF VISITORS FOR THE NATIONAL FIRE ACADEMY December 13, 2023

13

Professional Development Initiative Update

Mr. Gabliks stated that the EFO Program is up and running, which was a big effort. As the 

Managing Officer Program starts moving forward, they will then get together on that subject. Mr. 

Gabliks stated that he wants to connect FESHE with this group also.

Chief Butler replied that he really liked that idea. Chief Butler asked if they needed to make any 

motions. Mr. Gabliks suggested that they needed some time to get some structure to the ideas. 

They will discuss these ideas before the next meeting.

Final Comments/Adjournment

Chief Butler asked if there were any more questions or comments. There were none. The next 

meeting is April 22, 2024. Mr. Dubay motioned to adjourn the meeting, and Ms. Wesley made the 

second motion. All were in favor, and no one opposed. The meeting was adjourned at 4:07 p.m.