Amid the many announcements of budget cuts throughout the federal government, the National Fire Academy’s indefinite cancellation of classes may not have broken through the noise for those outside the industry. But it should have. The ramifications of these cancellations will be felt in every town and county across the country, including in Toledo. The NFA must resume classes immediately.
The NFA has served as America’s premier institution for training fire leaders since 1973. It offers courses on everything from fire dynamics to incident command, equipping about 100,000 firefighters a year with the skills and knowledge to respond to the rapidly evolving challenges of firefighting. Offering this advanced training for free means that fire departments of all sizes — from large city departments to remote volunteer departments — have equal access to lifesaving knowledge.
For Toledo firefighters, the NFA provides access to insights that cultivate better community protection. Whether or not they have attended NFA, every firefighter has been impacted by its teaching through the influence or instruction of an NFA graduate. By extension, every person in Toledo who has called 911 and watched with relief as the fire trucks pulled up has also benefitted from the training and expertise of the NFA.
It’s not just Toledo.
The NFA has shaped and sharpened America’s fire service for decades, helping them hone the skills we count on in times of crisis. While local fire academies and community colleges train volunteers and career firefighters in the basics, the NFA offers the broader perspective and unique insights that move the industry forward. Courses on arson investigation, hazardous materials, and incident management are a few of the ways the NFA trains firefighters to protect our communities more effectively and safely. This training isn’t about providing certifications to tack on a resume — it saves lives.
With no national fire department, responding to any major emergency is the local fire department’s responsibility.
NFA training prepares local firefighters to act confidently and knowledgeably in the face of crises that have national and environmental implications. For instance, when a train carrying hazardous materials derailed in small-town Ohio, it was the East Palestine Fire Department’s job to respond.
In towns like Toledo with multiple major thoroughfares, advanced training is a necessity.
Without NFA classes, there will be no uniform educational structure across the nation. Instead, segmented curriculums based on regional experiences will emerge, leaving blindspots in fire departments nationwide. This lack of uniformity is dangerous in the event of an emergency that requires multiple fire departments to cooperate.
Additionally, the loss of networking opportunities from in-person courses could further silo fire departments and whittle away opportunities for sharing knowledge that protects firefighters and their communities.
Canceling classes is the latest in a series of blows to the fire service. Fire departments are already struggling with a rapid decline in volunteer firefighters and an aging workforce that is straining their personnel. Cutting away a key source of the training that makes volunteer and career firefighters more effective will only weaken the fire service.
Shutting down the NFA will impact every single American. Whether you’re a parent taking your children to school, a child biking down the street or a senior citizen going for a morning walk, you rely on firefighters to answer your call for help if the unthinkable happens. We quite literally put our lives in their hands, trusting in their training and experience. And, though we don’t often think of it, the NFA is an essential pillar of that training.
While the NFA may not feel like a top priority amidst the constant influx of breaking news and personal responsibilities, we cannot afford to accept these class cancellations. This seemingly minor change in the firefighting community affects all of us, and changing the new status quo demands our involvement. We can choose our medium — be it calling members of Congress or raising awareness — but we cannot choose whether to act.
Fighting for safer communities is incumbent upon each of us. For some, that means responding to 911 calls. For others, exercising our civic rights. But for all of us, it requires that we answer the call to act.
David Durstine, of Wooster, is the vice president of sales at IDEX Fire & Safety and co-chair of the Government Affairs Committee for the Fire Apparatus Manufacturers’ Association & Fire Equipment Manufacturers and Services Association. He has served in the field for over 26 years.
First Published April 2, 2025, 4:00 a.m.
