The National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA) has shared its support for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) in its urgent effort to reopen the National Fire Academy campus for the NFFF’s annual Memorial Weekend.
Each year, the NFFF carries out a responsibility entrusted to it by Congress: honoring America’s fallen firefighters and standing alongside the families they leave behind.
However, according to the organization, in 2026, that mission is at risk.
Due to a lapse in funding at the US Department of Homeland Security, access to the US Fire Administration campus in Emmitsburg, Maryland, home to the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial, is uncertain.
This jeopardizes the opportunity to properly honor 204 fallen firefighters from 43 states and to welcome the families who come to remember them.
For these families, Memorial Weekend is far more than a ceremony.
It is often a once‑in‑a‑lifetime opportunity to visit the place where their loved one’s service and sacrifice are permanently honored.
If access to the Memorial is restricted, the Foundation will be forced to conduct the Fallen Firefighters Memorial Ceremony and Candlelight Service elsewhere.
While meaningful, something irreplaceable will be lost.
Memorial Weekend is where the nation gathers to express its gratitude for their service and sacrifice, a place where the families and national recognition come together in a way that cannot be replicated.
This federal disruption affects families who have already given everything.
National recognition matters. A permanent place of honor matters. And access to that place, especially when families may have only one chance to be there, matters deeply.
For a fallen firefighters’ families, this is not just an event. It is the fulfillment of a promise.
NFSA President Shane Jay explained: “Our call to action encourages everyone to join us in contacting their members of Congress and ask them to support re-opening the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial for the 2026 Memorial Weekend.
“This is an example of ‘Fire Service One Voice’ in action and we are happy to support the NFFF and stand united with our plea to everyone for support.”
NFFF CEO Victor Stagnaro added: “Ensuring access to this sacred space is not optional. It is essential.
“We are very grateful to NFSA and all fire service organizations who are working to help us reach policy makers in time to help. We know first-hand the importance of this annual service, and we hope our pleas are heard.”
