The Fire Safety Research Institute, part of UL Research Institutes, is proud to announce that the Fire Safety Academy has reached a significant milestone with 150,000 registered users. This achievement underscores FSRI’s commitment to evidence-based training and the growing impact of our free, high-quality firefighting training materials and tactical considerations in firefighter health, safety, and effectiveness.
Beyond Individual Learning: How Firefighting Training Transforms Entire Departments
When Fire Captain and Training Officer Ashley Engler at Lincoln Fire and Rescue, Nebraska, first started taking courses on the FSA, she knew she had found something valuable. She put in a simple request for the whole department to take one course, and after positive initial results, the department started integrating FSA material more consistently into its training.
To date, the department's most-taken course, "Search and Rescue Tactics in Single-Family Single-Story Residential Structures," has led to updated standard operating guidelines and is now taught in their recruit academy. Captain Engler also appreciates the FSA's flexibility, which allows her to pair online courses with hands-on training to bring the science to life, spark discussion, and provide a helpful reference.
“The FSA really helps you figure out what you don’t know, even if you’ve been in the fire service for 15 years. The content helped me understand the ‘why’ behind what I was seeing on the fireground, so that I could be a better firefighter.”
—Ashley Engler, Fire Captain and Training Officer, Lincoln Fire and Rescue, Nebraska
Maximizing Your Firefighting Training
To help you get the most out of the FSA, we have developed three comprehensive user guides tailored to different roles and training needs:
- Quick Start Guide: Perfect for members of the fire service just getting started with the FSA, this guide walks through account setup, course navigation, and taking your first course to begin learning immediately.
- Power User Guide: Designed for training officers and instructors who want to register as a "power user." This resource explains how to manage and track your crew's learning progress and monitor completion rates across your organization.
- Group Delivery Guide: Ideal for instructors who want to teach FSA content to groups of firefighters while ensuring individual course credit.
Captain Engler's advice for departments considering the FSA resonates with the experiences of all departments: "Change is always difficult in the fire service, but the science and data speak for themselves. My advice would be to find a way to teach FSA content that works for your organization, give people a chance to try it out, and trust in what's happening. At some point, people will see it working and see how it reframes their understanding of what they're seeing on scene."
A Community Committed to Evidence-Based Firefighting Training
Lincoln Fire and Rescue's experience exemplifies how departments across the country are integrating the FSA into their fire service education and seeing a profound impact. Since its launch, the FSA has become a cornerstone resource for firefighting training, providing research-driven materials that translate the latest fire science into practical, actionable knowledge.
The milestone of reaching 150,000 users, with representation from 1 in 3 U.S. fire departments and over 30 courses available, reflects the fire service’s commitment to strengthening its knowledge, skills, and ability to protect communities.
Learn what the FSA can do for you and your organization: training.fsri.org.
