New Hampshire Congressional Delegation Calls on FEMA to Resume Life-Saving Firefighter Trainings Frozen by Trump Administration
(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), alongside U.S. Representatives Chris Pappas (NH-01) and Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), are calling on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to direct the National Fire Academy (NFA) to resume training courses for firefighters that were cancelled due to the Trump Administration’s federal funding freeze. The letter to Acting FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton comes after the delegation received an outpouring of concern from Granite State firefighters who rely on the free programs offered by NFA to maintain and improve the skills they use to save lives.
The delegation wrote, in part: “We are writing to express our concern that the National Fire Academy (NFA) has cancelled courses pending a review of agency programs. Firefighters and other stakeholders throughout New Hampshire have contacted us to express their disbelief that firefighters will not be able to receive the instruction and training they need to maintain and improve the skills they use to save lives.”
They continued: “Since its establishment, the NFA has offered training and related programs to generations of firefighters and other first responders. We have heard from New Hampshire firefighters and first responders that these are specialized courses the NFA provides for free that are not available elsewhere in the U.S.”
They concluded: “Denying or delaying crucial training for first responders, including firefighters, will put their lives at risk and the lives of the people across the U.S. who depend on firefighters to save their lives and livelihoods. We urge FEMA to immediately direct the NFA to resume training and related activities.”
The full text of the letter can be found here.
As a senior member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, Shaheen has consistently secured resources to support New Hampshire’s firefighters. During the ongoing Fiscal Year 2025 appropriations process, Shaheen has pushed to increase funding to $385 million for both the Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) programs, an increase of $122 million over FY 2024. Shaheen also recently joined her Senate colleagues in urging the Trump Administration to reverse course on a hiring freeze for seasonal firefighters.
Senator Hassan has led efforts to support New Hampshire firefighters, helping advance the bipartisan Fire Grants and Safety Act through the Senate Homeland Security Committee and the Senate. The bill was signed into law last year, renewing and extending until 2028 the AFG and SAFER programs. Last year, the New Hampshire Congressional Delegation announced more than $2.9 million in federal funding to support Granite State fire fighters.
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