National Fire
Academy (NFA) Training
Opportunities(as of
April 3, 2008) Vacancies
exist in the following NFA courses at the National
Emergency Training
Center in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
You may refer to the internet at www.usfa.dhs.gov/nfa
for more information, or contact
the Admissions Office via email netc-admissions@dhs.gov
or by phone at (301) 447-1035. Completed
applications may be faxed to (301) 447-1441. If interested, apply immediately! Note:
The NFA policy of only 1 stipend-supported trip per fiscal year remains.
However, a qualified individual may seek to participate without stipend
assistance. PLEASE INDICATE with your application that you are aware of
this restriction when you apply for the course. All vacancies
are filled on a first come, first served basis and qualified by using the
Student Selection Criteria listed on our Website:
www.usfa.dhs.gov/nfa 2nd Semester R101 Code Management: A Systems
Approach
8/4/08-8/15/08
7 vacancies R135 F.
Protection for the Built Environment
6/22/08-6/27/08
3 vacancies R203 Fire
Dynamics-Fire Modeling
8/18/08-8/29/08
1 vacancy R213
Analysis of Arson Management
7/27/08-8/1/08
14 vacancies R491 NFIRS:
Program Manager
7/20/08-7/25/08
14 vacancies R492 NFIRS:
Standards of Cover
6/1/08-6/6/08
21 vacancies
6/22/08-6/27/08
21 vacancies R508
Partnering for Fire Defense and Emergency Services Planning
9/14/08-9/19/08
12 vacancies R810 VIP:
Leadership & Administration
9/14/08-919/08
8 vacancies R811 VIP:
Fire Cause Determination
7/20/08-7/25/08
5 vacancies
9/14/08-9/19/08
2 vacancies R816 VIP:
Community Education Leadership
9/14/08-919/08
20 vacancies FAQ – NFA Vacancy Lists Why are there vacancies at the National Fire
Academy? Are
enrollments down? Enrollments
in the National Fire Academy (NFA) are actually up. Last year, in cooperation
with our State training partners, our on-line training at NFAOnline, and in our
resident and off-campus delivery program, the NFA reached 108,000 fire service
professionals. In 1995 we trained just 15,000. Like every college,
we plan our academic year based on last year's enrollments, the number of new
courses on the schedule, waiting lists for current courses and the calendar and
our best estimate of the demand for courses the following year. It's not
an exact science. Vacancies
occur for any number of reasons – some classes have low demand because
the number of fire department members doing that job is low (e.g. public
educators, data analysts, training, plans review, budget), but these courses
are in many ways critical to the success of fire and life safety and the
administration of the fire department. Other times we may overestimate
the demand. When that happens, we cancel a low-demand course, move the
enrolled students into another delivery of that course and use the funds to run
an additional high-demand course. It seems that I'm hearing more about vacancies than I ever
have in the past. Why is that? Well, you
are. Before widespread communication using web sites and email, the NFA relied
on last minute telephone calls to fill seats. We couldn't announce the
vacancies in sufficient time to get the students here to campus. Now,
with improved communications, the increased membership and support of the
Alumni Association and the participation of many of the fire service
organizations, we distribute vacancy announcements in a matter of
minutes. It is working very well. What you
are seeing, though, is only the vacancies. We never send out the list of
classes that are already filled and have a waiting list. The lists show
only the few vacancies we have. I don't apply during the application period, I like to wait
to see what classes have vacancies before I apply, is that a good idea? NO!
The first requirement for a student's eligibility to attend the NFA is their
current job responsibility (Box #16).
If you wait, it is likely that the courses you qualify for will be filled by
others in the normal application process. When that happens, you lose the
best chance you had to attend the NFA. Worse, if applications are low, the
class you seek may be cancelled. The most useful and valuable course for
you may never show up on a vacancy list. The better strategy is to apply
during the normal application periods (May 1- June 30 and Nov 1 to Dec
30). Remember, if you qualify, you may apply for two different courses in
the same semester (using a separate application for each); however, you will
only receive a stipend for one trip per fiscal year (Oct 1 through Sept 30) Why are there waiting lists and vacancy lists at the same
time? Our
courses are academically rigorous, and every class is considered mid- to
upper-level college course work. It is important to ensure that each
student is capable of success in the course before being admitted. Students
are accepted to the NFA based on the 'target audience' criteria listed in the
catalog. We want to make sure that the course is a benefit to both the
fire department and the students when they return; and is of sufficient
complexity to advance the student's knowledge to improve local service
delivery. Students who do not meet the 'target' criteria would slow the
class down, and expose the student to possible failure. It is
more important to fill a seat with a qualified student than it is to simply
fill a vacancy. This ensures success for the department, the student and
the rest of the class. What is the most frequent cause of application rejection? Any suggestions to increase my chances of
success? On our website, there is a document that
provides eight "tips" for completing a successful application.
It only takes a minute – but will dramatically improve your chances for
success: http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/nfa/about/attend/apply.shtm Jodie
Hettrick Supervisor Training
and Education Bureau Alaska
Division of Fire and Life Safety (907)
269-5789 For information on ASFA's Travel Training Grant, please refer to the Grant Application Form.