Nebraska Fire Training Cuts Raise Concerns

(LINCOLN, Neb.) — Proposed budget reductions affecting the Nebraska State Fire Marshal’s Office could make firefighter training more difficult to access and potentially increase costs for rural and volunteer fire departments across the state.

The proposed changes for the 2027-29 biennium include eliminating a training coordinator position and potentially reducing the office’s role in teaching at the annual Nebraska State Fire School. Fire service representatives warn that reduced state support could leave local departments searching for alternative training options and facing additional expenses.

The proposals come as Nebraska addresses a state budget shortfall. However, the most significant training reduction outlined by the office was submitted as a hypothetical response to potential across-the-board cuts, not as a recommendation from the agency. The final budget decisions have not been made.

Volunteers make up the majority of Nebraska’s fire service

According to the Nebraska State Fire Marshal’s Office, the state had 478 fire departments and 17,218 firefighters as of Oct. 6, 2026.

Of those departments, 449 are all-volunteer, 23 use a combination of paid and volunteer firefighters, and six are all-paid departments. All-volunteer departments account for approximately 94% of Nebraska’s fire departments.

The U.S. Fire Administration’s 2021 registry report found that approximately 96.1% of Nebraska’s registered departments were classified as volunteer or mostly volunteer.

Those figures underscore the importance of accessible training for departments that depend on community members who respond to emergencies while maintaining other jobs and responsibilities.

Training costs extend beyond tuition

The State Fire Marshal’s Office currently provides instruction for a significant portion of the annual Nebraska State Fire School. The office teaches approximately one-third of the classes, and nearly half of attendees take courses led by the agency.

Reducing that instructional role could limit access to established training opportunities and require departments to find other providers.

For rural departments, replacing those courses could mean additional expenses for tuition, travel, lodging, equipment and other costs. The precise financial impact remains uncertain, but fire service representatives have warned that some departments could face thousands of dollars in additional expenses.

Luke Renken, a captain with the Eagle Volunteer Fire Department who also serves on a rural fire board and teaches part time at State Fire School, told 10/11 NOW that the changes could add thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars in expenses to some departments.

Robert Buchheit, chief of the Hemingford Volunteer Fire Department in northwestern Nebraska, described State Fire School as a primary training opportunity for his department, which covers approximately 1,000 square miles.

Volunteers could pay in lost wages, too

The financial burden extends beyond department budgets. Volunteer firefighters may need to take time away from their regular jobs to attend training, potentially using vacation time or sacrificing wages.

For firefighters who must travel to alternative training locations, the combination of transportation, lodging and time away from work could make participation more difficult.

Departments already face expenses for protective equipment, apparatus maintenance, insurance and vehicle replacement. Additional training costs could create further pressure on limited budgets.

If state-supported instruction becomes less accessible, departments may need to absorb more expenses, ask volunteers to shoulder some costs or find other ways to meet training requirements. These remain potential outcomes rather than confirmed changes.

Budget decisions remain ahead

The governor’s office said the agency’s budget request retains approximately $43,500 for State Fire School, with proposed reductions of $5,000 in travel and lodging and $1,500 for a promotional booth. A separate $28,450 training-budget reduction was presented as a hypothetical response to across-the-board cuts, not a recommendation from the agency.

The governor’s budget recommendations will go before the Nebraska Legislature during its session beginning in January 2027.

The proposed cuts do not automatically mean departments will be charged tuition. Nebraska law provides for free training through the State Fire Marshal’s volunteer and career fire department training program, although charges may apply to certain materials, testing and specialized courses.

With 449 all-volunteer departments statewide, the outcome could affect how rural communities prepare the people who respond to fires, crashes and other emergencies.

For volunteer firefighters, the question is not simply how much training costs, but whether they can continue accessing the instruction needed to serve their communities safely without placing a greater financial burden on themselves and their departments.