• P.O. Drawer 76, Emmitsburg, Maryland 21727
  • (301) 876-3454

Press Release: Linda Wells Joins the National Fire Heritage Center Board of Directors

Press Release: Linda Wells Joins the National Fire Heritage Center Board of Directors

The National Fire Heritage Center is pleased to announce the appointment of Linda Wells to the Board of Directors of the National Fire Heritage Center. Linda Wells is the Manager of the Research Library and Archives at the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). She launched the NFPA Digital Archive to provide direct access to the full text of...

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Robert J. Brady: Fire and EMS Audiovisual Training Pioneer

Robert-J.-Brady

Robert J. Brady, Sr. (1919-1992), an audiovisual pioneer, combined new and developing training technology with Fire and EMS content to form the Robert J. Brady Company, one of the world's largest Fire and EMS publishing companies. His love and respect for the Fire/EMS service continued in his retired years. There he chose to spend a large portion o...

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Press Release: Hall of Legends, Legacies and Leaders: Class 2022

Press Release: Hall of Legends, Legacies and Leaders: Class 2022

The mission of the National Fire Heritage Center (NFHC) is to preserve the perishable history of the fire services and fire protection disciplines. The Hall of Legends, Legacies, and Leaders (HLLL) helps fulfill that mission by providing recognition to the individuals who have made significant contributions and have distinguished themselves in the ...

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Preserving the Perishable: Learning the History of Fire Safety

MS055.08.0021.00002

Another Fire Prevention Week is upon us, and the fire service takes this week to focus public attention on learning fire safety throughout the year. This is a necessary time to reflect that remembering our past helps preserve and protect our future. Fire Prevention Week was established to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire, the tragic 1871 conflagr...

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Oral History Interviews Panel Discussion

Oral History Interviews Panel Discussion

Oral History Interviews allows you to capture and preserve the memories, history, traditions and importantly the stories of survival and success, along with lessons learned. It is said that the loss of a single firefighter is like losing an entire library of knowledge. The history of your organization is embedded in the memories and stories of thos...

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Preserving the Perishable: Engaging the Future Generations of the Fire Service

Preserving the Perishable: Engaging the Future Generations of the Fire Service

If you are anything like the authors of this blog article, you did not start as a fire protection and firefighting history lover. It grew on you as you became more and more involved in the service. Soon you stumbled across a relic at a flea market or in someone's basement and a collector was born. Whether it be a toy fire truck (our personal f...

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Preserving the Perishable: Sharing the Stories of the Fallen

Preserving the Perishable: Sharing the Stories of the Fallen

I recently had the opportunity to assist with our local September 11th memorial service. This was being included as part of a more significant annual history-based event in my hometown. As I began identifying speakers for the event, I realized that for the first time, I was approaching a whole generation that had no personal memory of the events th...

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Preserving the Perishable: Traditions of the Fire Service Shared through Oral Story Telling

Preserving the Perishable: Traditions of the Fire Service Shared through Oral Story Telling

It was 1986, on a warm summer night and I found myself on the front porch of my grandfather's home. I was then a new Fire Chief and my grandfather was a former Assistant Fire Chief. He was once again sharing those wild tales of firefighting in his time. Often he would tell me of that 1923 American LaFrance and how it performed on Chr...

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Press Release: PastPerfect Software

NFHC-PastPerfect

In January of 2021, the NFHC purchased access to an online museum cataloging software system known as PastPerfect, the world's leader in collection and contact management software. PastPerfect, produced by PastPerfect Software, Inc, out of Exton, PA, will allow for the cataloging of publications, documents, and photographs and store electronic...

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SOAR With The NFHC

SOAR With The NFHC

Revitalizing the Commitment and Culture of the National Fire Heritage Center, Library and Archives - Rodney Slaughter, President/CEO  Download PDF File Here File Name: Soar With The NFHC - Article File Size: 2.7 mb Download File SOAR With The NFHC Presentation  File Name: NFHC SOAR File Size: 320 kb Download File  NFHC Talking P...

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Press Release: Executive Director Dick DeVore

Fire Chief (Ret.) DeVore began his tenure with the NFHC in April of 2020, serving as the Chief Archivist for the organization's expanding collection. In this role, DeVore initiated the steps toward digitization of the collection and made it more readily accessible for fire historians, educators, and researchers. This process was initiated...

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Nomination Instructions: Benjamin Franklin Writer’s Award 2022

Benjamin Franklin with Chief (Ret.) Ronny J. Coleman

Established to preserve the history of America's fire services and fire protection disciplines, the National Fire Heritage Center recognizes that authors of books, magazines, newsletters, and a variety of media are key preservers of America's fire services and fire protection disciplines history. Their stories keep alive the events and people who m...

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Benjamin Franklin Writer's Award 2021

Benjamin Franklin Writer's Award 2021

The National Fire Heritage Center was established to preserve the history of America's fire services and fire protection disciplines. Currently, the archive library contains over 15,000 logged documents of major historical value. Benjamin Franklin, the father of America's Fire Service, left a vast legacy of written products. He encouraged writers t...

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National Fire Heritage Center: Annual Report 2020

All - for those interested in seeing that historically important written aspects of prevention and prevention advocacy don't get lost, the attached annual report from the nation's fire-related archive effort is likely to be of interest. Based in Emmitsburg, a short distance from the NFA/USFA-NETC, the National Fire Heritage Center (NFHC) is focused...

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Nomination Instructions: The Hall of Legends, Legacies and Leaders: Class 2022

The National Fire Heritage Center Board of Directors has opened nominations for the Fire and Emergency Services Hall of Legends, Legacies and Leaders (HLLL). Nominations will be accepted from June 15 through August 15, 2021. The HLLL provides individual recognition of significant contributions and distinguished service to the Fire and Emergency Ser...

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Dr. Harry E. Hickey: Bridging the Gap Between Art and Science in Fire Protection: A Respected Academics Vision of the Future

Dr. Harry E. Hickey: Bridging the Gap Between Art and Science in Fire Protection: A Respected Academics Vision of the Future

In a fire protection career spanning 52, Dr. Harry E. Hickey influenced many people in the fire service, academia, insurance and research, as an authority in hydraulics and public protection. Dr. Hickey was initially inspired to fire protection service by his family. Born on September 3, 1930, in Fredonia, New York, to Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Hickey. Hi...

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Fire Chief Harvey Eisner: A Major Driving Force in the American Fire Service

Harvey Eisner Harvey Eisner

Harvey Eisner, a long time Editor of Firehouse Magazine, provided a view of the fire service through a camera lens that the public doesn't often get to see. He grew up as a boy in awe of the many fire stations and apparatus of the FDNY. This article is a glimpse of Harvey J. Eisner, the silent giant in the fire service that captured the American Fi...

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Press Release: Adrian Sheppard Joins the National Fire Heritage Center Board of Trustees

Adrian Sheppard Adrian Sheppard

Adrian Sheppard was appointed Fire Chief of the City of Richmond, CA, on December 31, 2014. Throughout his time in Richmond, Chief Sheppard has implemented technologies and strategies that capture data to improve the community's emergency response. He believes that using data leads to informed decision-making for the procurement and deployment of r...

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Press Release: President Rodney Slaughter

President Rodney Slaughter, MSOD President Rodney Slaughter, MSOD

"Our past history informs our present condition, as we chart our course for the future," this is the tagline that Rodney Slaughter, CEO/President of the National Fire Heritage, uses to remind people of our purpose. The mission of the National Fire Heritage Center (NFHC) is to preserve the perishable history of the fire services and fire protection ...

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Press Release: Hall of Legends, Legacies and Leaders: Class 2021

Hall of Legends, Legacies and Leaders Hall of Legends, Legacies and Leaders

The mission of the National Fire Heritage Center (NFHC) is to preserve the perishable history of the fire services and fire protection disciplines. The Hall of Legends, Legacies, and Leaders (HLLL) helps fulfill that mission by providing recognition to the individuals who have made significant contributions and have distinguished themselves in the ...

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Contact Info

  • The National Fire Heritage Center
  • Physical Address: 17701 Creamery Road, Emmitsburg, Maryland 21727
    Mailing Address: P.O. Drawer 76, Emmitsburg, Maryland 21727
  • Phone: (301) 876-3454