Rep. McClain Delaney, Senator Van Hollen Lead 64 Colleagues in a Bipartisan, Bicameral Letter to Trump Administration Demanding Reinstatement of Classes at our National Fire Academy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Maryland Congresswoman April McClain Delaney, Senator Chris Van Hollen Lead 64 Congressional Colleagues in a Bipartisan, Bicameral Letter Demanding Answers from Trump Administration on Decision to Cancel Trainings for Firefighters, First Responders at the National Fire Academy and Emergency Management Institute

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Maryland Representative April McClain Delaney (D-MD) and Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), led 64 of their Congressional colleagues in a bipartisan, bicameral letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and Acting FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton pressing for further explanation of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) decision to cancel trainings for firefighters and first responders at the National Fire Academy (NFA) and Emergency Management Institute (EMI) in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

The NFA and EMI gather leading experts and first responders to train with stress-tested technology, share best practices on fire and hazard safety, develop innovative emergency response methods, and enhance public safety. Programs at the NFA and EMI include emergency medical services, fire prevention, arson and explosion investigation, leadership development, wildfire response, and firefighter health and safety. At the time of the abrupt cancellation, instructors were poised to host trainings across the country and many first responders had already booked their travel and accommodation for the upcoming week.

“We write to express our serious concern with the Administration’s immediate cancellation of all in-person first responder training courses at the U.S. Fire Administration’s (USFA) National Fire Academy (NFA) and the Emergency Management Institute (EMI), collocated at the National Emergency Training Center (NETC) in Emmitsburg, Maryland,” the lawmakers began. “According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) March 7th announcement, classes were canceled to review NFA and EMI ‘programs and spending to ensure alignment with Administration priorities.’ This action undermines first responder public safety and potentially poses an equal threat to public safety.”

“Firefighters and other first responders lay their lives on the line every day for our communities. The abrupt cancellation of courses has affected dozens of firefighters, educators, and local departments that rely on the National Fire Academy’s and Emergency Management Institute’s resources, classes, and expertise to promote safe and effective fire prevention, enhance firefighter safety, and reduce the loss of life and property to fire, floods, and other natural disasters. We call on the Administration to reverse course and reinstate these critical classes for first responders” the lawmakers continued.

In their letter, the lawmakers press for answers to the following:

• The rationale that FEMA used to justify the cancellation was to review programs to ensure that they aligned with “Administration priorities;” 
• The duration of FEMA’s review process;
• Whether first responders will be reimbursed for booked travel to now canceled courses;
• Whether FEMA will follow Federal Judge John McConnell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island’s preliminary injunction on March 6th that prohibits the freezing of federal funds.

The full text of the letter is available here and below.

The letter was also signed by: Senators Angela Alsobrooks, Tim Kaine, Mazie Hirono, and Angus King and Reps. Gabe Amo, Don Beyer, Sanford Bishop, Suzanne Bonamici, Julia Brownley, Salud Carbajal, André Carson, Ed Case, Gerry Connolly, Lou Correa, Angie Craig, Sarah Elfreth, Brian Fitzpatrick, Laura Gillen, Marie Glusenkamp-Perez, Dan Goldman, Josh Gottheimer, Jahana Hayes, Eleanor Holmes-Norton, Steny Hoyer, Val Hoyle, Jared Huffman, Glenn Ivey, Jonathan Jackson, Sara Jacobs, Hank Johnson, Tim Kennedy, Ro Khanna, John Larson, Ted Lieu, Zoe Lofgren, Stephen Lynch, Seth Magaziner, Jennifer McClellan, Kristen McDonald-Rivet, LaMonica McIver, Kweisi Mfume, Kelly Morrison, Seth Moulton, Frank Mrvan, Joe Neguse, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Johnny Olszewski, Scott Peters, Jamie Raskin, Raul Ruiz, Linda Sanchez, Mary Gay Scanlon, Brad Sherman, Suhas Subramanyam, Shri Thanedar, Bennie Thomson, Mike Thompson, Rashida Tlaib, Jill Tokuda, Paul Tonko, Lauren Underwood, Eugene Vindman, and George Whitesides