In-person classes are set to resume at a leading firefighter training program in Western Maryland, following a 10-week pause amid the Trump administration’s federal spending review.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Thursday that classes at the National Fire Academy, which includes a 107-acre hub in Emmitsburg, will restart in early June.

In-person instruction abruptly stopped in March, as President Donald Trump threatened to abolish FEMA and his administration slashed several federal programs it deemed “waste, fraud and abuse.” At the time, FEMA’s parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security, described the academy as nonessential.

Following an uproar from Democrats and fire leaders, FEMA changed course Thursday.

In a press release, the agency said that, following “a comprehensive review,” it found “certain courses provide effective training to enhance national readiness for state, local, tribal and territorial emergency managers, first responders and local leaders.”

The academy provides leadership and emergency management training to 100,000 firefighters a year. Many of them travel from across the country to its sprawling campus in rural Emmitsburg. The federally funded training requires attendees to pay only for food and travel costs.

The decision to close the academy in March sparked an outcry among leaders in the fire service, who said the academy was essential to training for emergencies and sharing best practices. Many bristled at the suggestion the academy could be considered a poor use of taxpayer money.

In recent months, groups such as the Congressional Fire Services Institute, a nonprofit policy organization that aims to educate lawmakers about fire and emergency services, organized letter-writing campaigns and met with public officials in an urgent bid to reopen the academy.

Following Thursday’s announcement, Bill Webb, executive director of the Congressional Fire Services Institute, said in an email that the closure “never should have happened, and it certainly shouldn’t have taken this long to resolve.”

Democratic lawmakers had also written letters and questioned Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during congressional hearings, urging her to restore the classes.

“The Trump Administration’s decision to abruptly cancel these classes made no sense — and what’s more, it risked significant harm to our communities and those who protect them," U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland said Thursday in a press release. “While the good work done by the men and women [at the] National Fire Academy never should have been halted, I’m glad to see the Administration has heeded our calls to lift this senseless ban.”

U.S. Rep. April McClain Delaney, whose district includes Emmitsburg, added that the closure was “senseless.”

“The rash decision to close the academy wasted valuable resources and undermined our communities’ safety, resilience, and response efforts,” the first-term Democrat said in a statement.

A rural community of less than 3,000 residents near the Pennsylvania border, Emmitsburg has forged an identity around training the nation’s firefighters. Visitors to the academy drive economic activity in the town, and the campus is among the largest employers in northern Frederick County.

Emmitsburg was preparing to finalize its budget for the next fiscal year when town leaders received word that the academy would reopen, Mayor Frank Davis said.

“It’s a big deal for the town, especially right at budget time,” Davis said. “It relieves a little bit of the pressure from us.”

He added: “We just sent a note out all of our businesses, and [we’re] getting nothing but positive feedback and joy from them.”

The Emmitsburg campus also is home to FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute, which trains officials to lead disaster responses. Classes there are also slated to resume in early June, FEMA announced.