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Board of Visitors for the National Fire Academy

Fiscal Year 2018 Annual Report

August 28, 2018

Meeting Schedule

January 10, 2018

March 16, 2018

August 27-28, 2018

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

(Board) reviewed the National Fire Academy (Academy) in three areas of responsibility and 

submits the following report for Fiscal Year (FY) 2018.

An examination of Academy programs to determine whether these programs further the 

basic missions which are approved by the Administrator, Federal Emergency Management 

Agency (FEMA).

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

Homeland Security (DHS)/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. 

In consultation with the USFA/NFA leadership, the Board established subcommittees to address 

salient mission specific issues. In FY 2018, the BOV spent a significant amount of time 

evaluating and making recommendations for changes to the EFO Program at the NFA. The 

BOV convened four subcommittees comprised of a broad range of stakeholders representing 

national fire and emergency service organizations. Each subcommittee held monthly conference 

calls to deliberate and discuss the issues at hand. This resulted in submissions of 

recommendations to the BOV (see attached). After thoughtful deliberation, the BOV 

unanimously approved the recommendations of each subcommittee. 

The National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) subcommittee did not meet due to staffing 

vacancies caused by attrition. We are very appreciative of the new staff hired and look forward 

to working with them this next year. This ongoing effort will help support fire departments 

nationwide as they harness the power of advanced data analytics for their communities.

The Academy 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 stakeholder groups by

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

federal partners, including: Department of Transportation/Federal Highway Administration;

National Wildfire Coordinating Group, Department of Justice/Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, 

Firearms and Explosives; Federal Bureau of Investigation and other Department of Homeland 

Security components. In addition to its Federal partners, the Academy continues to work closely 

with all major fire and emergency services stakeholders. 
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The Board continues to support the USFA Professional Development Initiative through USFA’s 

three major networks – Training Resources and Data Exchange (TRADE/training), Prevention 

Advocacy Resources and Data Exchange (PARADE/prevention), and Fire and Emergency 

Services Higher Education (FESHE/higher education). The fifth annual Professional 

Development Summit was held June 13-16, 2018, with 116 attendees from across the nation. In 

conjunction with the TRADE and FESHE leadership, the Board recommends Academy staff 

work to evaluate changes needed to bolster professional development in the nation’s fire service. 

The BOV supports the Professional Development Initiative subcommittee’s plan to meet in 

January, 2019, for the purpose of evaluating and determining the future of the Professional 

Development Summit.

The Managing Officer (MO) program serves mid-level managers in fire/EMS and emergency 

services organizations. Since August, 2018, 149 students have graduated from the MO program. 

Managing Officer classes are scheduled quarterly in tandem with EFO Program classes 

whenever possible. The BOV encourages Academy staff to continue their work with state fire 

training directors to ensure that MO pre-requisite classes are offered at the state level. The BOV 

recommends evaluation of the MO program similar to the EFO program evaluation that just 

concluded.

The BOV requests that Academy staff expand outreach efforts through and with partner 

organizations and increase visibility at national fire service events to share training and education 

opportunities available for career and volunteer members with a focus on underrepresented 

stakeholders. The outcome of this initiative should focus on increasing diversity among students 

and instructors. 

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 Academy continues to leverage its resources through delivery of regional and 

state courses and a growing number of on-line distance learning courses. The BOV continues to 

actively encourage evaluative research and targeted efforts that positively and significantly 

impact workplace and student diversity. 
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The following chart reflects the student completions in each of the course delivery areas. Data 

for 2018 will be available after December 1, 2018: 

2015 2016 Change % 2017 Change %

NFA Sponsored Resident 7,458 7,298 -2.1% 6,107* -16.3%

NFA Sponsored Non-Resident 5,030 4,966 -1.3% 5,409 +8.9%

State Sponsored 25,312 24,333 -3.9% 25,835 +6.2%

State Approved 9,825 9,644 -1.8% 9,362 -2.9%

Colleges/Universities 3,413 4,949 +45% 5,537 +12.0%

Online Self-Study 35,318 52,067 +47% 50,523 -3.0%

Total 86,356 103,257 +20% 102,773 -0.5%

*Reduction was due to required class cancellations as campus was utilized for FEMA Disaster 

Training/deployment.

 

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

administration, and information dissemination. The Academy continues to add courses to the 

materials download feature, giving state fire training agencies and contract instructor’s direct 

access to Academy 2-day and 6-day course materials. This provides users with real-time access 

to Academy course materials. Currently, 56 courses are available that state fire training offices 

can download. Access to these course materials is also available to state Emergency Medical 

Services organizations as well.

The EFO Program continues to play a crucial role in the preparation of the next generation of fire 

and emergency medical services leaders. The 30th Annual EFO Program Graduate Symposium 

was held April 6-7, 2018, and included 197 participants. This year’s symposium featured a

broad mix of presentations reflecting the EFO Program community’s needs.

The Academy awards Continuing Education Units (CEU) for all Academy courses through the 

International Association of Continuing Education and Training. This is extremely beneficial to a 

growing number of Academy students who are required to meet continuing education 

requirements for certification. In addition, the Academy 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) conducted its annual review of Academy courses on 

September 18-19, 2018, which included 24 courses. The ACE review process provides an 

independent and objective third-party assessment of the Academy’s academic quality, as well as 

a tangible benefit for students who can use the credit recommendation to pursue higher education 

through other academic institutions.

The BOV supports Academy staff efforts to reestablish the analysis that crosswalks and 

compares NFA classes to national fire service standards. 
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The Academy continued a systematic study of its resident courses with students and their 

supervisors to determine long-term training effectiveness. During FY 2018, 346 students and 

306 supervisors responded to the Long Term Evaluation. As with previous years’ responses, 

students indicated they were able to transfer the training skills and learning to their jobs, and 

supervisors reported improved performance. The data shows: 

Long-Term Evaluation Reporting Elements 2015 2016 2017 2018

Students reporting they were able to apply Academy

training at home

95.9% 91.2% 96.4% 91.0%

Students reporting Academy training improved their 

job performance

96.2% 94.4% 96.6% 97.1%

Students reporting they shared Academy training 

with their peers

97.9% 97.7% 99.0% 97.9%

Students reporting they conducted formal courses 

with Academy material

27.4% 24.4% 26.6% 24.8%

Students reporting they established new policies and 

procedures based on Academy training

84.4% 72.5% 69.3% 77.1%

Supervisors reporting improved performance from 

Academy training

90.5% 90.9% 85.5% 90.9%

Supervisors reporting improved departmental 

performance

88.5% 86.6% 88.4% 91.1%

Supervisors who say they will recommend Academy 

training to others 

97.2% 96.7% 95.7% 97.4%

Supervisors reporting Academy benefits outweigh 

costs

92.2% 91.6% 99.2% 94.7%

Note: Data reported was derived from Academy Long-Term Evaluation Forms sent to both students and 

their supervisors 4–6 months after the Academy training class ended.

An examination of the physical plant of the Academy to determine the adequacy of the 

Academy facilities.

The size, age, and scope of the NETC campus facility continues to offer both challenges and 

opportunities. On behalf of students and other stakeholders, the BOV 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 to manage the physical plant and numerous activities held on campus each year.

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

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

Currently, there remains about $35 million in deferred maintenance. The BOV recommends that 

FEMA establish an additional annual $5 million deferred maintenance allocation for the NETC 

campus. The BOV commends FEMA and NETC staff in their ongoing efforts to upgrade and 

maintain the aging physical infrastructure.
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Campus facilities include the Library and the Publications Center which continues to provide

essential support for Academy students. However, there remains a long documented need to 

expand the NETC facilities to accommodate the addition of 300 students per class cycle. While 

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

and support space will be required for the Academy to continue fully supporting the broader 

DHS/FEMA mission.

The MOSS should request additional funds specifically to address aging driveway and parking 

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

replacement of lighting fixtures with energy efficient solutions. The BOV supports a redesign of 

the main entrance area to enhance security of staff and students with a visually appealing portal.

Enhancements in technology are providing instructors with the necessary tools to use 

contemporary adult learning principles and practices. To meet current technology requirements, 

the Academy continues to upgrade the classroom environment. Although there have been recent 

improvements, students and BOV members experience issues with internet connectivity and 

access campus wide. As an example, the FEMA firewall prevents access to many sites necessary 

for research, collaboration and data storage. The BOV recommends appropriate funding to 

improve internet and data access on campus and the campus information technology

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

mission.

With the growth and importance of information technology the BOV recommends the Academy 

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

all enterprise functions.

An examination of the funding levels for Academy programs.

The USFA and the Academy 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 Academy receive an increase in

funding to maintain its mission and the expected role it plays within DHS/FEMA.

The Academy 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 Academy 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’s important to recognize that 

every emergency, every 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 August 2018, there 

were 27,431,216 total incidents reported to NFIRS for 2017 and there were 59 presidentially-
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declared major disasters reported in 2017 per 

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 2017, there were 87 on-duty firefighter fatalities

and 3,400 civilian fatalities https://www.usfa.fema.gov/data/statistics/. The National Fire 

Protection Association estimated there were 58,835 firefighter injuries in calendar year 2017. 

Reports from the National Institutes of Occupational Safety and Health state that some of these 

deaths and injuries could have been averted through training. Above all else, the Academy was 

created to prevent those tragedies. The BOV continues to recommend an emphasis on firefighter 

health and safety as a part of the overall training mission which the Academy 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 the relevancy of the responder health and safety curricula. 

Throughout FY 2018, visionary leadership was provided by the U.S. Fire Administrator and 

Deputy Fire Administrator. The Superintendent, now in her second year, is actively involved 

with the BOV to ensure the timely and relevant delivery of effective training and educational 

courses by well qualified instructors. The BOV is honored to collaborate on the implementation

of the Superintendent’s vision for the future. Finally, the BOV would like to thank the dedicated 

and passionate staff of the Academy, National Fire Programs Division and Management, 

Operations and Support Services who are responsible for the USFA’s success.

The BOV thanks outgoing chair Kwame Cooper for his outstanding leadership and congratulates 

him for his successful and enduring career in the fire service.
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Fiscal Year 2018 Board of Visitors 

Kwame Cooper (Chair)

Assistant Chief

Los Angeles Fire Department

Los Angeles, California 

Steven P. Westermann (Vice Chair)

Chief Emeritus (Ret)

Central Jackson County Fire Protection District

Blue Springs, Missouri 

Kevin D. Quinn 

Chairman

National Volunteer Fire Council 

Andrew K. Pantelis 

District Vice President

International Association of Fire Fighters 

Washington, DC 

George M. Stapleton

Finance Operations Manager

South Carolina State Fire

Columbia, South Carolina 

Eriks J. Gabliks 

Director

Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards & Training 

Salem, Oregon

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