The National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA) proudly supports 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. In 2026, that mission is being put at risk.

Due to a lapse in funding at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, access to the U.S. 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 would be forced to conduct the Candlelight Service and Memorial Ceremony at an alternative location, denying families the opportunity to visit the Memorial where their firefighter is honored. While meaningful, something irreplaceable would be lost. Memorial Weekend is where private grief is recognized by the nation and where loss is honored in a place 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 our fallen firefighters’ families, this is not just an event. It is the fulfillment of a promise.

How can you help?

We urge you to contact your member of Congress and ask them to support keeping the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial open for the 2026 Memorial Weekend. Ensuring access to this sacred space is not optional. It is essential. Complete our voter voice campaign. A letter template is provided for you and will go directly to your federal representative or senator. To learn more, visit https://www.firehero.org.