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Emmitsburg, Maryland

Frank Davis, mayor of the western Maryland town of Emmitsburg, expected to see a lot of government programs get the axe when Donald Trump became President again. That’s one big reason why Davis, like most of the other inhabitants of Emmitsburg, voted for Trump. He was not at all prepared, however, for the cancellation of in-person classes at the National Fire Academy, a mainstay of the Emmitsburg economy that has been described as the “national war college for firefighters.”

The National Fire Academy is funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to train firefighters from all over the country. Although FEMA has not given a precise explanation, it issued a statement about cracking down on excessive travel spending. “The bottom line is we are no longer paying for non-employee travel,” the statement read. “We are only authorizing travel for mission critical programs, this isn’t one. Some of these classes are still available online.”

Davis, who also serves as a medic at the local firehouse – the Vigilant Hose Company – holds out hope that the administration will change its mind. If the decision stands, he told National Public Radio, “It will change my outlook to say that they’re not being fair… They’re just going in to cut and not caring what they cut.”

Date Posted: 5/9/25