BY KENNETH O. BURRIS, JR.
On March 23, 1979, the Fed-eral Government bought the facility previously known as St. Joseph’s College. This facility, consisting of 107-plus acres of land and 20 individual structures, was purchased from the Order of the Daughters of Charity. The purchase set into motion the building blocks for the current National Emergency Training Center (NETC).
Originally purchased to house the United States Fire Administration’s (USFA) rapidly expanding National Fire Academy (NFA), the facility offered many advantages. The quiet facility located at the base of the Catoctin Mountains offered a unique atmosphere conducive to learning. Its location is somewhat remote from, yet close enough to, Baltimore, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., to enable its transient national and international students easy access to major transportation hubs.
The campus was officially dedicated on October 8, 1979; the first NFA classes were offered on January 21, 1981. The NFA relocated its operations from cramped facilities in downtown Washington, D.C., to Emmitsburg, Maryland. To make this relocation possible, $4.7 million was spent for fire and life safety improvements in fiscal year (FY) 1980 just to be able to open the facility to students.
The NETC facilities include/house, in addition to the USFA, the Emergency Management Institute (EMI); the Training Division, part of FEMA’s Preparedness, Training, and Exercise Directorate; a small staff from the Office of Human Resources Management; the staff of the Headquarters Procurement Office; the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation; and the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial.
With the additional occupants came the need to renovate what was once a private women’s college from a traditional educational facility to offices and up-to-date classrooms and living quarters. In 1981, refurbishing projects such as upgrading the electrical system to handle increased loads for air-conditioning, in-stalling sprinkler systems, replacing carpeting and draperies, and painting the exterior began. The campus had been boarded up for nearly eight years before the U.S. Government purchased it. For the period 1981 through 1989, an additional $10.5 million was spent on upkeep and repairs. The facility still needed major repairs and renovation.
In 1990, with the backing of Maryland congressional members, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was granted funding to undertake an intensive renovation and construction program. The program was to be funded over five years at $5 million a year. The table was set for the NETC. Design contracts were developed and awarded, and the ball was rolling.
With the majority of the most serious life safety issues addressed, the focus of the program shifted to classrooms, dormitories, and the various support facilities. Efforts were underway to renovate the main classroom building and the fire simulation laboratory for the NFA, repair the chapel’s exterior, develop additional parking facilities, and replace sidewalks and the drainage system.
The next phase of the Capital Improvements Program addressed quality-of-life issues. The dormitories were the classic college, multiple-occupant rooms with group latrines, showers, and lavatories. This lodging arrangement was quite uncomfortable for the NETC’s targeted student population of professional fire and public service personnel. The goal was to renovate the existing dormitories into single-occupancy rooms with private baths, which would result in the loss of approximately one-third of the existing dormitory capacity.
Adding a new 135-room dormitory was to compensate for this loss. Construction on the dormitory began in November 1993; renovation design work for four of the five existing dormitories also commenced at that time. Finally, a centrally controlled energy management and control system was installed. The final bill for all this work was $29.6 million.
Several smaller projects, including an upgrade of the exterior lighting on the campus, were concluded over the following three years. Sidewalks along the tree-lined Main Avenue entrance were replaced, as were 28 sugar maple trees, some of which were more than 90 years old. Other projects included replacing parking lot curbing and constructing a small parking lot.
FY 2000 ushered in several projects that had been in the idea stage for several years. An old warehouse/maintenance building is being converted into a joint simulation exercise facility for the NFA and the EMI; it is expected to be completed in August 2001. Additionally, the Learning Resource Center is undergoing a three-phase expansion. The first phase, now in progress, involves converting a small special visitors’ dormitory into office space. The subsequent phases will be to renovate and update existing office space and to allow the LRC to expand into adjoining space (currently offices) within its present building. The expansion is expected to be completed by August 2002.
THE FUTURE
As the NETC enters its third decade of service, we continue to strive for a world-class facility. As a result of a special Blue Ribbon panel appointed by former FEMA Director James Lee Witt to investigate the operations and direction of the USFA in the future, a significant realignment of resources is in progress. One significant recommendation of the Blue Ribbon panel was to increase the capacity to deliver on-site courses by 200 students per course delivery cycle.
The NETC once again finds itself preparing for major construction and renovation activities to support an additional 200 on-campus students at any time, depending on funding for FY 2002. Committees of USFA staff members are developing design requirements for a new 200-bed dormitory; a new classroom building; expanded dining, fitness, and relaxation areas; and additional parking areas.
Requirements for the two new buildings are being incorporated into the design of the new facilities. Construction of the new classroom and dormitory facilities is scheduled to begin in April 2002, depending on the availability of funds. Completion is anticipated for October/November 2003.
With this ambitious program underway, there will be many challenges and issues to address along the way. Our goal is to continue to improve the facility and provide the quality educational programs the nation’s fire and emergency services personnel deserve.
KENNETH O. BURRIS, JR., is the chief operating officer of the U.S. Fire Administration. He retired as fire chief from the City of Marietta, Georgia. He has an MPA from Kennesaw State University and a bachelor’s degree in fire protection and safety engineering technology from the University of Cincinnati. He formerly served as treasurer of the International Association of Fire Chiefs.
