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Board of Visitors for the National Fire Academy

Fiscal Year 2020 Annual Report

Aug. 31, 2020

Meeting Schedule

Dec. 18, 2019

March 5, 2020

June 9, 2020

Aug. 31, 2020

The U.S. Fire Administration’s (USFA’s) Board of Visitors for the National Fire Academy 

(NFA) (Board) reviewed the NFA in three areas of responsibility and submits the following 

report for Fiscal Year (FY) 2020.

An examination of National Fire Academy programs to determine whether these 

programs further the basic missions which are approved by the Administrator, 

Federal Emergency Management Agency

The NFA continues to be a mission-critical organizational unit within the Department of 

Homeland Security (DHS)/Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). It directly 

supports FEMA’s USFA mission to support citizens and first responders to ensure that, as a 

nation, we work together to build, sustain and improve our capability to prepare for, protect 

against, respond to, recover from and mitigate all hazards. 

The NFA provides training to tens of thousands of career and volunteer fire service personnel 

each year, primarily through classes delivered on its Emmitsburg, Maryland, campus and 

through partnerships that enable two- and six-day classes to be offered around the nation with 

state and metropolitan fire training organizations. The COVID-19 global pandemic has had a 

significant impact on the NFA’s ability to deliver training opportunities. This has resulted in the 

cancellation of hundreds of classes in both Emmitsburg and around the nation.

NFA staff has worked with its FEMA training partners to create robust guidelines through which 

training delivery will be managed. These guidelines include reduced campus population; social 

distancing; changes to the NFA’s heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems,

especially in air exchange; student temperature checks; increased sanitation practices; and 

changes to on-campus food service. The NFA staff monitors community health guidance and 

best practices in Frederick County, Maryland, and neighboring Adams County, Pennsylvania,

which is just across the border. Similar considerations have been implemented by the NFA on 

delivery of regional and state classes to ensure adherence to health guidelines for the safety and 

health of students and instructors.

While in-person, on-campus delivery classes have been on pause, staff has used the time to 

diligently develop new offerings, implement new and upgraded technology, provide quality 

control and updates to existing offerings, and enhance outreach and communication across all 

programs. They have continued to contract with subject matter experts to ensure that courses are 
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current and relevant. The work of NFA staff is commendable as it works to embrace technology 

to meet the needs of the fire service during the COVID-19 pandemic. While technology does 

provide additional opportunities, it cannot replicate the student-instructor and student-student

interactions that take place on the NFA campus and during in-person regional classes. It is 

important to recognize that career and volunteer fire service personnel in many portions of our 

country do not have the ability to take advantage of NFA distance-learning opportunities —

especially those in tribal and rural communities — because of a lack of digital infrastructure and 

connectivity.

The work being done, and the interest from fire service personnel across the nation, shows the 

success of both the Managing Officer Program and the Executive Fire Officer (EFO) Program. 

The Board commends NFA staff for successfully transitioning both legacy and new students into 

the EFO Program. In FY 2019 and 2020, the legacy EFO Program was being phased out and 

replaced by the new EFO Program. Most of the students that were accepted into the FY 2020 

Managing Officer Program offerings were moved to FY 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic 

and on-campus classes being cancelled. 

Table 1: Executive Fire Officer and Managing Officer Program Application Data

Executive Fire Officer Program Managing Officer Program

Applied Admitted Admit % Applied Admitted Admit %

FY 2017 268 163 60.8 218 153 70.1

FY 2018 298 189 63.4 240 153 63.8

FY 2019 252 37 14.7 229 129 56.3

FY 2020 145 0 0 267 85 31.8

FY 2021 232 174 75.0 209 172 82.3

Total 1,195 563 213.9 1,163 692 304.3

Average 239 141 59.0 233 138 59.2

The National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) under the National Fire Programs 

Division at USFA has been working with the NFA to offer NFIRS training for end users. This 

program focuses on how agencies can access their own data through the data warehouse to 

receive timely information. This group is also working with the International Association of Fire 

Chiefs (IAFC) on regional training deliveries. Currently, NFIRS captures data on more than 29 

million incidents a year.

To address COVID-19 issues specifically related to fire service incident response, the National 

Fire Data Center (NFDC) NFIRS team quickly created its first-ever special study dashboard to 

capture data. The NFIRS COVID-19 Special Study has reported 1.8 million incidents. The 

NFIRS COVID-19 Special Study dashboard notes 408,739 fire service personnel responses to 

confirmed or suspected COVID-19 instances as of Sept. 8, 2020. 
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NFIRS Modernization 10 is looking to be implemented in October 2020. It will enhance the 

user’s experience with the system both on data entry and retrieval. New client-based web tools 

will allow for more access to data at time of entry.

Work is underway to create a standalone approach, which means NFIRS would no longer rely on 

data from other sources. 

The NFDC has completed a new report, “Emergency Services Ergonomics and Wellness,” which 

replaces a decade-old USFA ergonomics report. It provides the results of a research project 

conducted through a partnership between USFA and the International Fire Service Training 

Association at Oklahoma State University. This document covers both the concepts of 

ergonomics and wellness to enhance making the work environment healthy, safe and productive 

for the firefighter and emergency responder. 

An update of “America Burning” is underway with the IAFC. This process involved bringing 

together a broad base of both fire service and non-fire service constituents to ensure that all 

aspects are considered. “America Burning Wildland Urban Interface” is about to begin with a 

specific look at the national fire service issue. The Board is supportive of the enhanced emphasis 

on wildland urban interface to include the pursuit of funded positions, development of an 

additional training curriculum and enhanced delivery.

The NFA continues to play a vital role by serving as a single point of contact for national, state, 

local, tribal and territorial fire and emergency medical services (EMS) stakeholder groups by

soliciting their input on course development, delivery and outreach. The NFA also supports 

federal partners, including the Department of Justice/Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and 

Explosives (ATF); Department of Defense (DoD); Department of State; and other components.

In addition to its federal partners, the NFA continues to work closely with all major fire and 

emergency services stakeholders. 

National Fire Academy Overview

Resident classes are reserved for those requiring high-level discussion/interaction, specialized 

simulation or modeling capabilities, close supervision and counsel, or the introduction of new 

subject areas. The demand for these successful programs has created a backlog of students 

requesting admission. This has been compounded by COVID-19. The NFA continues to leverage 

its resources through delivery of regional and state courses through its partnerships with state and 

local training providers and a growing number of online distance-learning courses.

Work recently completed by NFA staff to update fire prevention, community risk reduction, fire 

and arson investigation, and EMS classes is greatly appreciated as it shows the diverse work 

done by career and volunteer fire personnel around the country and, equally important, the 

diverse portfolio of classes offered, developed and managed by the NFA. The Board recognizes 

that there is a current backlog of students needing to attend training at the NFA. Specific 

concerns are identified in Command and Control, Leadership, and Fire and Arson Investigation. 
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The Board also understands and is concerned that NFA staff does not have access to sufficient 

classroom and lodging facilities and appropriate funding to alleviate the backlog. 

Table 2: Fiscal Year 2020 Course Backlog

FY 2020 course backlog

Command and Control Decision-Making at Multiple Alarm Incidents (R0297) 31

Command and Control of Incident Operations (R0312) 82

Fire and Emergency Services Training Program Management (R0445) 26

Fire Investigation: Essentials (R0772) 258

Fire Investigation: Electrical Systems (R0776) 62

The partnership with the ATF and the NFA to train fire and arson investigators is to be 

applauded. Because of attrition of fire investigators around the country due to retirement, this 

program has a significant backlog of students that needs to be addressed. This will require 

additional funds to be allocated for burn cells, additional classrooms, lodging, course and 

instructor costs, and student stipends for travel. The Board recommends that NFA staff explore 

partnerships which could allow fire investigator training to be offered off campus.

The following chart reflects the student completions in each of the course delivery areas. Data 

for 2020 will be available after Dec. 1.

Table 3: Course Delivery Student Completions 

2017 2018 Change % 2019 Change %

NFA-sponsored resident 6,107 6,547 7.2 6,036 -7.8

NFA-sponsored nonresident 5,409 5,712 5.6 5,029 -12.0

State sponsored 25,835 23,265 -9.9 21,094 -9.3

State approved 9,362 8,802 -6.0 8,527 -3.1

Colleges/universities 5,537 5,449 -1.6 4,924 -9.6

Online self-study 50,523 52,168 3.3 50,759 -2.7

Total 102,773 101,943 -0.8 96,369 -5.7

Note: From mid-December 2018 through the end of January 2019, the campus was shut down for resident classes due to a lack of 

funding and staff being furloughed.

The NFA staff continues to pursue new applications for technology in course delivery, 

administration and information dissemination. The NFA continues to add courses to the 

materials download feature, giving state fire training agencies and contract instructors direct 

access to NFA two- and six-day course materials. This provides users with real-time access to 

NFA course materials. Currently, 60 courses are available that state fire training offices can 

download. Access to these course materials is also available to state EMS organizations.
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The NFA awards Continuing Education Units for all NFA courses through the International 

Association of Continuing Education and Training (IACET). This year, the NFA has been 

recognized as its own IACET-accredited provider. This is extremely beneficial to a growing 

number of NFA students who are required to meet continuing education requirements for 

certification. In addition, the NFA is a “Preferred Provider” with the International Code Council 

(ICC). This program recognizes and promotes ICC-approved educational opportunities as they 

relate to codes, standards, building construction and other subject areas.

The American Council on Education (ACE) will conduct a review of 21 NFA courses in 

November 2020. Eight of these courses are new, and 13 are being reviewed by ACE for the 

three-year re-review requirement. The ACE review process provides an independent and 

objective third-party assessment of the NFA’s academic quality, as well as a tangible benefit for 

students who can use the credits to pursue higher education through other academic institutions. 

The NFA continued a systematic study of its resident courses with students and their supervisors 

to determine long-term training effectiveness. During FY 2020, 788 students and 609 supervisors 

responded to the Long-Term Evaluation. As with previous years’ responses, students indicated 

that they were able to transfer the training skills and learning to their jobs, and supervisors 

reported improved performance. The data show: 

Table 4: Long-Term Evaluation Results

Long-term evaluation reporting elements 2017 2018 2019 2020

Students reporting they were able to apply NFA

training at home

96.4% 91.0% 94.3% 93.9%

Students reporting NFA training improved their job 

performance

96.6% 97.1% 96.3% 96.4%

Students reporting they shared NFA training with 

their peers

99.0% 97.9% 95.1% 97.2%

Students reporting they conducted formal courses 

with NFA material

26.6% 24.8% 23.6% 24.2%

Students reporting they established new policies and 

procedures based on NFA training

69.3% 77.1% 72.5% 70.8%

Supervisors reporting improved performance from 

NFA training

85.5% 90.9% 89.4% 92.3%

Supervisors reporting improved departmental 

performance

88.4% 91.1% 86.9% 91.4%

Supervisors who say they will recommend NFA

training to others 

95.7% 97.4% 96.4% 96.9%

Supervisors reporting NFA benefits outweigh costs 99.2% 94.7% 92.4% 95.2%

Note: Data reported was derived from NFA Long-Term Evaluation Forms sent to both students and their supervisors four to six

months after the NFA training class ended.
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An examination of the physical plant of the National Fire Academy to determine 

the adequacy of the facilities

The size, age and scope of the National Emergency Training Center (NETC) campus facility 

continues to offer both challenges and opportunities. The historic nature of many of the NFA 

buildings also needs to be noted due to the complexity this adds to the ongoing maintenance and 

repair work done on campus. On behalf of students and other stakeholders, the Board appreciates

the tremendous support FEMA has provided to address capital improvement and maintenance 

issues on campus. We applaud the continued outstanding work of the NETC Management, 

Operations and Support Services (MOSS) Division to manage the physical plant and numerous 

activities held on campus each year.

While much progress has been made, particularly relating to Americans with Disabilities Act 

compliance and energy efficiency, deferred maintenance continues to be a critical issue. There 

continues to be a significant deferred maintenance need at the NETC. Replacement of aging 

roofs and HVAC systems on campus is greatly appreciated and long overdue. The HVAC and 

roof replacement schedule, as proposed by NETC’s MOSS, needs to be completed in a timely 

manner. The Board recommends that FEMA establishes an additional annual $5 million deferred 

maintenance allocation for the NETC campus. The Board commends FEMA and NETC staff in 

their ongoing efforts to upgrade and maintain the aging physical infrastructure.

The replacement of the 21-year-old fire alarm and detection system on the entire campus needs 

to be a priority not just for life safety reasons but also because the USFA should be the role 

model for the nation in the fire prevention arena. To date, campus fire alarm upgrades have been 

completed in seven buildings. A contract has been awarded for five additional buildings to have 

new fire alarm systems installed and should be completed before the end of the year.

Campus facilities include the library and the Publications Center, which continue to provide

essential support for NFA students. However, there remains a long-documented need to expand 

the NETC facilities to accommodate the addition of 300 students per semester. While the NETC 

maintains one of the highest utilization rates in the DHS, additional classroom, lodging and 

support space is required for the NFA to continue fully supporting the broader DHS/FEMA

mission.

The NETC campus also needs a state-of-the-art physical fitness, health and wellness center for 

use by students, instructors and staff so the NFA can lead the fire service by example as it does 

in so many other areas.

The NETC’s MOSS team should request additional funds specifically to address aging driveway 

and parking surfaces throughout the campus. Frequent rain showers in the region, and snow and 

ice in the winter months, clearly show the stagnation of water and the impact poorly paved areas 

have on the safety of staff and students who walk and drive on these surfaces.

Installation of solar panels on appropriate campus facilities should continue along with the 

replacement of lighting fixtures with energy-efficient (i.e., light-emitting diode (LED)) solutions.

Installation of solar panels has been completed on five buildings. A contract for Building S will 
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be awarded this year for a total of six buildings on campus with panels .While the goal of all 

buildings having solar panels would be the desired outcome of the Board, we realize that this is 

not realistic nor possible because of the historic preservation constraints many of the structures 

on campus are governed by. The Board commends MOSS staff for its ongoing efforts to seek 

energy-efficient options across the campus.

The Board is pleased to see the redesign of the main entrance area completed to enhance the

safety and security of staff and students. The work done by NETC’s MOSS and NFA staff to 

create a secure and professional appearance while preserving the historic trees along the main 

entryway is appreciated.

The Board was appreciative of the long-standing efforts to create and implement an online 

admissions application process. This system is currently being used by Emergency Management 

Institute students with NFA students to follow in the next semester. The ultimate goal is to be a 

paperless system.

Of most concern during the Board’s annual meeting was in the area of information technology

(IT) and systems. The NFA needs better technology for a robust, academically sound and secure 

online learning platform. Simply stated, the staff at the NFA are very limited in the ways they

can communicate with students and support off-campus programs. Specifically, the NETC needs 

enhancements to the campus-wide wireless system to include unrestricted Wi-Fi, file-sharing 

capabilities and access to information via cloud-based solutions.

To meet current technology requirements, the NFA needs to continue to upgrade the classroom 

environment. Although there have been recent improvements, students and Board members 

experience issues with internet connectivity and campus-wide access. As an example, the 

DHS/FEMA firewall prevents access to many sites necessary for research, collaboration and data 

storage. 

While the Board understands the complex nature and importance of information security and the 

need for DHS/FEMA to protect the work of full-time staff and various assets, there is an 

immediate and business need for the NFA to be able to communicate with students off campus.

In comparison, the DoD has figured out a way for military service academies to conduct their 

educational programs for the men and women attending these institutions using current 

technology without impacting IT security. We ask that DHS/FEMA gives the IT needs of the 

USFA and NFA the same attention so that they can accomplish their mission of serving fire 

service personnel across the country. The Board recommends appropriate funding and 

DHS/FEMA IT staff support to improve internet and data access on and off campus, and the 

campus IT infrastructure to support the growing number of courses that are delivered to complete 

the FEMA mission.

With the growth and importance of IT, the Board once again recommends that the NFA and 

USFA seek a full-time Chief Information Officer and create a branch to oversee and manage all 

enterprise functions. The Board appreciates the time and attention given to the needs of the NFA 

campus and students by the FEMA Chief Information Office to this important matter.
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An examination of the funding levels for National Fire Academy programs

The USFA and the NFA continue to demonstrate commendable stewardship with respect to 

fiscal responsibility. While the operational budget has remained relatively stable, inflation results 

in higher costs for operations. It is imperative that the NFA receive an increase in funding to 

maintain its mission and the expected role it plays within DHS/FEMA. This need is even more 

paramount due to the backlog and the need for training through the NFA.

The USFA bears the cost of NETC maintenance. Appropriate cost sharing needs to be addressed 

by FEMA. 

The NFA is unique in the federal government because its specific mission is to train state, local, 

tribal and territorial first responders and their leaders, not primarily federal employees. A 

reduction in resident classes at the NFA would result in a degradation of incident management 

capabilities, community risk reduction, hazardous materials response, and arson detection and 

prosecution.

While there is a cost to both on-campus and off-campus training, it is important to recognize that 

every emergency and disaster starts locally. To the extent that a community has a well-trained, 

well-led cadre of first responders, that emergency stays local. If it is poorly handled, or if it is so 

large that the local forces are overwhelmed, it may trigger a state and federal response. It is in the 

interest of both DHS and FEMA to try to keep local emergencies local. As of Sept. 30, 2019, 

there were 28,428,813 total incidents reported to NFIRS from 24,102 fire departments for 2018,

and there were 98 presidentially declared major disasters reported in 2020 per FEMA 

(https://www.fema.gov/disasters/year?field_dv2_declaration_type_value=DR).

While training has a cost, the lack of training is even more expensive in terms of life loss (both 

civilian and firefighter), property damage, litigation, economic impact and societal effects. 

According to the USFA data, in calendar year 2018, there were 84 on-duty firefighter fatalities 

and 3,655 civilian fatalities (https://www.usfa.fema.gov/data/statistics/). In calendar year 2019, 

there were 62 on-duty firefighter fatalities. The National Fire Protection Association estimated 

that there were 58,250 firefighter injuries in calendar year 2018. Reports from the National 

Institute of Occupational Safety and Health state that some of these deaths and injuries could 

have been averted through training. Above all else, the NFA was created to prevent those 

tragedies. The Board continues to recommend an emphasis on firefighter health and safety as a 

part of the overall training mission which the NFA has proactively embraced with the 

recruitment of a new training specialist to oversee its new firefighter health and safety 

curriculum area. The recently offered pilot classes have all been well received and show the 

benefits of the currency and relevancy of the responder health and safety curriculum. 

Throughout FY 2020, visionary leadership was provided by U.S. Fire Administrator Chief G. 

Keith Bryant and Deputy Fire Administrator Dr. Denis Onieal. Chief Tonya Hoover, NFA 

Superintendent, now in her fourth year, is actively involved with the Board to ensure the timely 

and relevant delivery of effective training and educational courses by well-qualified instructors.

The Board is honored to collaborate on the implementation of the superintendent’s vision for the 
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future. Finally, the Board would like to thank the dedicated and passionate staff of the NFA, 

National Fire Programs Division and MOSS, who are responsible for the USFA’s success. 

The Board has concerns regarding the delays that have been experienced with the vetting and 

approval process for new Board members and those who are seeking renewal. These delays will 

impact the ability for the Board to carryout future tasks and board meetings. This is noted not as 

a criticism of the USFA or NFA, but as a concern regarding the length of the federal process.

The Board would like to recognize and thank three talented individuals who have spent many 

decades serving the nation’s fire service who have retired or will be retiring from the USFA over 

the next few months: Ms. Terry Gladhill, Branch Chief for Training, Administration, Planning 

and Analysis Branch; Deputy NFA Superintendent Dr. Kirby Kiefer; and Deputy U.S. Fire 

Administrator and former NFA Superintendent Dr. Onieal. All three have made a lifetime of 

friends and, more importantly, have made a significant impact on the training and education of 

career and volunteer firefighters from around the country and around the world.

The Board also thanks outgoing Chair Mr. Andrew Pantelis, Vice Chair Mr. Eriks Gabliks and 

Mr. George Stapleton for their outstanding leadership and service to the Board.

The Board applauds the USFA for 46 years of dedicated service to the nation’s fire service.
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Fiscal Year 2020 Board of Visitors

Andrew K. Pantelis (Chair) 

District Vice President

International Association of Fire Fighters

Washington, D.C.

Eriks J. Gabliks (Vice Chair)

Director

Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards & Training

Salem, Oregon

Kevin D. Quinn

First Vice Chair

National Volunteer Fire Council

South Kingstown, Rhode Island

George M. Stapleton

Operations Chief

South Carolina State Fire

Columbia, South Carolina

Dr. Patricia A. McIntosh

Emergency Management Coordinator

College of the Mainland

Texas City, Texas

Thomas E. Romaine, Jr.

Smokechaser

Minnesota DNR-Forestry

New Ulm, Minnesota

John S. Butler 

Chief

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department

Fairfax, Virginia