Board of Visitors for the National Fire Academy

AGENCY:

Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS.

ACTION:

Committee management; Notice of open Federal Advisory Committee meeting.

SUMMARY:

The Board of Visitors for the National Fire Academy (Board) will meet via teleconference on Tuesday, March 19, 2019. The meeting will be open to the public.

DATES:

The meeting will take place on Tuesday, March 19, 2019, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Please note that the meeting may close early if the Board has completed its business.

ADDRESSES:

Members of the public who wish to participate in the teleconference should contact Deborah Gartrell-Kemp as listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section by close of business March 15, 2019, to obtain the call-in number and access code for the March 19th meeting. For more information on services for individuals with disabilities or to request special assistance, contact Debbie Gartrell-Kemp as soon as possible.

To facilitate public participation, we are inviting public comment on the issues to be considered by the Board as listed in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section. Participants seeking to have their comments considered during the meeting should submit them in advance or during the public comment segment. Comments submitted up to 30 days after the meeting will be included in the public record and may be considered at the next meeting. Comments submitted in advance must be identified by Docket ID FEMA-2008-0010 and may be submitted by one of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
• Email: FEMA-RULES@fema.dhs.gov. Include the docket number in the subject line of the message.
• Mail/Hand Delivery: Deborah Gartrell-Kemp, 16825 South Seton Avenue, Emmitsburg, Maryland 21727, post marked no later than March 11, 2019.

Instructions: All submissions received must include the words “Federal Emergency Management Agency” and the Docket ID for this action. Comments received will be posted without alteration at http://www.regulations.gov,, including any personal information provided.

Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or comments received by the National Fire Academy Board of Visitors, go to http://www.regulations.gov,, click on “Advanced Search,” then enter “FEMA-2008-0010” in the “By Docket ID” box, then select “FEMA” under “By Agency,” and then click “Search.”

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Alternate Designated Federal Officer: Kirby E. Kiefer, telephone (301) 447-1117, email Kirby.Kiefer@fema.dhs.gov.

Logistical Information: Deborah Gartrell-Kemp, telephone (301) 447-7230, email Deborah.GartrellKemp@fema.dhs.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Notice of this meeting is given under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. Appendix.

Purpose of the Board

The purpose of the Board is to review annually the programs of the National Fire Academy (Academy) and advise the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), through the United States Fire Administrator, on the operation of the Academy and any improvements therein that the Board deems appropriate. In carrying out its responsibilities, the Board examines Academy programs to determine whether these programs further the basic missions that are approved by the Administrator of FEMA, examines the physical plant of the Academy to determine the adequacy of the Academy's facilities, and examines the funding levels for Academy programs. The Board submits a written annual report through the United States Fire Administrator to the Administrator of FEMA. The report provides detailed comments and recommendations regarding the operation of the Academy.

Agenda

On Tuesday, March 19, 2019, there will be four sessions, with deliberations and voting at the end of each session as necessary: The board will discuss the following:

1. USFA Data, Research, Prevention and Response.

2. Deferred maintenance and capital improvements on the National Emergency Training Center campus and Fiscal Year 2019 Budget Request/Budget Planning.

3. The Board will deliberate and vote on recommendations on Academy program activities, including:

• An update on the Executive Fire Officer Program which is being revised to include reactions and calls from students about the changes.
• The Executive Fire Officer Program Symposium that will be held April 26-28, 2019.
• The Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education Recognition Program—Up-date.
• Curriculum Development and Revision Updates for NFA Courses.
• State Training Delivery Update; Enfranchisement and State Partners.
• Distance Learning Program Update (Mediated and Self-Study).
• NFA Technology Workgroup Initiative.
• Admissions Update for the Semester.
• Staffing Update.
• There will also be an update on the Board of Visitors Subcommittee Groups for the Professional Development Initiative Update and the National Fire Incident Report System.

There will be a 10-minute comment period after each agenda item and each speaker will be given no more than 2 minutes to speak. Please note that the public comment period may end before the time indicated, following the last call for comments. Contact Deborah Gartrell-Kemp to register as a speaker. Meeting materials will be posted at https://www.usfa.fema.gov/training/nfa/about/bov.html by March 15, 2019.