United States Fire Administration

United States Fire Administration
Agency overview
FormedNovember 1, 1974; 49 years ago (1974-11-01)
JurisdictionUnited States
HeadquartersEmmitsburg, Maryland, U.S.
Agency executives
  • Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell, U.S. Fire Administrator
  • Tonya Hoover, Deputy U.S. Fire Administrator
Parent departmentDepartment of Homeland Security
Parent agencyFederal Emergency Management Agency
Websitewww.usfa.fema.gov

The United States Fire Administration (USFA) is a division of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) located in Frederick County, Maryland, near Emmitsburg.[1][2] Per the official website, "the mission of the U.S. Fire Administration is to support and strengthen fire and emergency medical services (EMS) and stakeholders to prepare for, prevent, mitigate and respond to all hazards".[3]

History

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On November 1, 1974, President Gerald Ford established the National Fire Prevention and Control Administration (NFPCA), known today as the United States Fire Administration, by signing the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 into law (today Public Law 43-198).[4] The Act was created in response to the 1973 National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control's report America Burning.[5] The report's authors estimated fires caused 12,000 deaths and 300,000 serious injuries annually in the United States, combined with annual property losses of $11.4 billion. Among its 90 recommendations, the report proposed that a federal agency be established to help combat the growing problem of fatal fires happening throughout the country.[6]

On April 11, 1975, President Ford announced his nomination of Ohio State Fire Marshal David A. Lucht to the new position of Deputy Administrator of the NFPCA.[7] On July 24, 1975, President Gerald Ford nominated Howard D. Tipton, who had served as executive director of the NFPCA, to head the new agency as Administrator.[8]

The head of USFA between 2017 and 2021 was G. Keith Bryant.[9] From January 20, 2021, Deputy Fire Administrator Tonya Hoover became the Acting Fire Administrator.[10] The current Fire Administrator, Lori Moore-Merrell, was sworn in on October 26, 2021.[11]

Programs

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Under its mandate as set forth in the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974, USFA manages many of the federal programs related to firefighting including the systematic collection of statistics relating to fire incidents (National Fire Incident Reporting System), public fire education campaign materials, and information on grants and funding.[4] They also provide a directory of approved, fire-safe hotels, and information on home fire safety.[citation needed] The USFA manages the National Emergency Training Center (NETC) in Emmitsburg, Maryland on a campus acquired from Saint Joseph College in March 1979.[citation needed] The NETC comprises the National Fire Academy as well as the Emergency Management Institute.[citation needed] Firefighters and emergency managers from around the United States and the world attend courses at these academies in order to further enhance emergency services in their communities.

Organization

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(correct as at December 7, 2021) [12]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ www.usfa.dhs.gov Archived 2009-01-05 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2010-06-21. "United States Fire Administration 16825 South Seton Avenue Emmitsburg, MD 21727"
  2. ^ Kruger, Lennard G. (August 2, 2018). United States Fire Administration: An Overview. Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  3. ^ "About the U.S. Fire Administration". U.S. Fire Administration. 10 November 2021. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  4. ^ a b Ford, Gerald. "Public Law 93-498, Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974" (PDF). National Institutes of Health. U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  5. ^ "NATIONAL FIRE PREVENTION AND CONTROL ADMINISTRATION". Omeka.net. Archived from the original on 7 June 2019. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  6. ^ United States (1973). America Burning. U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  7. ^ Warren, Gerald. "White House Press Release April 11, 1975" (PDF). Gerald Ford Library Museum. U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  8. ^ Warren, Gerald. "White House Press Release July 25, 1975" (PDF). Gerald Ford Museum Library. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  9. ^ Collins, Emily. "OKC Fire Chief Keith Bryant sworn in as U.S. Fire Administrator". KOKH. Retrieved 2017-08-07.
  10. ^ "Tonya Hoover, U.S. Fire Administrator (Acting)". U.S. Fire Administration. 2021-01-20. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  11. ^ "Dr. Lori L. Moore-Merrell Sworn in as New U.S. Fire Administrator". FEMA.gov. 2021-10-26. Retrieved 2022-11-22.
  12. ^ "U.S. Fire Administration staff directory". U.S. Fire Administration. 2021-06-22. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
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