After a brief break in the action, things are heating up again—literally and economically—as FEMA announced that in-person training will resume at the National Fire Academy in early June. That’s right, the fire boots are back on the ground! The pause came this past March after President Trump’s Executive Order 14222, aka the “Department of Government Efficiency” initiative, pressed pause on classroom learning in the name of cost-cutting. But now, after a thorough review, FEMA and the U.S. Fire Administration have determined that bringing back in-person training is not just effective—it’s essential for national readiness. Cue the sirens (in a good way)!
So what does this mean for our area?
It means restaurants will have early-morning orders of “coffee, black” and “whatever’s hot.” And local businesses—from pizza joints to print shops—will once again feel the economic warmth from our nation’s emergency professionals returning to Emmitsburg.
The NFA, along with the Center for Domestic Preparedness in Alabama and the National Disaster and Emergency Management University (yes, NDEMU is a real mouthful), will all resume in-person training. And for Emmitsburg and Fairfield, that’s a serious win.
So, here’s to the instructors, the students, the heroes-in-training—and the small-town economy that’s fired up to welcome them back. Let the coffee pour and the classes begin!
