A Maryland town backed Trump's cost-cutting pledge. Now it's a target -- NPR [View all]

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https://www.npr.org/2025/05/05/nx-s1-5351764/trump-cuts-national-fire-academy-maryland-emmitsburg-fema-federal-spending

Emmitsburg Mayor Frank Davis voted for Donald Trump in hopes he would cut federal spending. Now Davis hopes those cuts don't include the permanent cancellation of classes at the National Fire Academy, which is part of the town's identity and helps drive its economy. Davis is also a chief at Emmitsburg's firehouse, known as the Vigilant Hose Company.
Justin T. Gellerson for NPR

EMMITSBURG, Md. — Frank Davis saw a lot of waste during his decades in the federal government. In November, he voted for Donald Trump to get rid of it. So far, Davis likes a lot of what he has seen.

"I'm probably gonna get shot for this, but he is doing what he said he was going to do," says Davis, who serves as mayor of this town of about 3,000 people in western Maryland, just south of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

In March, the Trump administration suddenly canceled in-person classes at the National Fire Academy here, which trains the United States' firefighters. Not only is the academy a big part of Emmitsburg's identity, but it also helps drive the local economy.

. . .

If the courses aren't restored, Onieal says, Americans will pay.

"We're on a very long, slow path to self-destruction," he says. "Every day that this training is unavailable to the locals is one day closer to a disaster they can't handle or won't know how to handle."

. . .