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The United States Fire Administration (USFA) is a division of the Federal Emergency Management Agency which in turn is managed by the Department of Homeland Security located in unincorporated Frederick County, Maryland, near Emmitsburg.
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History
On November 1, 1974, President Gerald Ford established the National Fire Prevention and Control Administration, known today as the United States Fire Administration, by signing the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974, Public Law 43-198 into law. The Act was created in response to the 1973 National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control report, America Burning. 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. On April 11, 1975, President Gerald Ford announced his nomination of Ohio State Fire Marshal David A. Lucht to the new position of Deputy Administrator of the National Fire Prevention and Control Administration. On July 24, 1975, President Gerald Ford nominated Howard D. Tipton, who had served as Executive Director of the National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control, to head the new agency as Administrator.
Programs
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 systematic collection of statistics relating to fire incidents (National Fire Incident Reporting System), public fire education campaign materials, and information on grants and funding. They also provide a directory of approved, fire-safe hotels, and information on home fire safety. The USFA manages the National Emergency Training Center (NETC) in Emmitsburg, Maryland on a campus acquired from Saint Joseph College in March 1979. The NETC comprises the National Fire Academy as well as the Emergency Management Institute. 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.