Structural Fire Protection Internships

Fire protection interns help protect our nation’s most treasured sites.

Structural Fire Protection Intern, Ethan Holsenback replaces a faulty smoke detector in the Gettysburg National Cemetery Maintenance Garage.

NPS/P BROWN

Every summer, the NPS Structural Fire Program recruits interns to assist parks and regional offices complete program requirements.

Interns will be asked to complete a thorough structural fire protection review of a historic structure or a building with historic collections to assess the building’s actual risks from fire and provide recommendations to help alleviate the risks.

Interns may also have the opportunity to:

• Develop a fire inspection program by identifying target hazard buildings.
• Develop evacuation plans.
• Assist with the development of inspection, testing, and maintenance (ITM) plans for fire protection systems.
• Conduct training classes on portable fire extinguishers.
• Establish a hydrant inspection and flow test program.
• Establish a hot work permit program.
• Review plans for new construction.

Additional tasks will be specific to each work site, making this a unique opportunity.

A few locations in which previous fire protection interns have worked include:

• Bryce Canyon National Park
• Cape Hatteras National Seashore
• Glacier National Park
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park
• Keweenaw National Historical Park
• National Capital Regional Office
• Petrified Forest National Park
• Rocky Mountain National Park
• Shenandoah National Park
• Yosemite National Park

Internship Benefits and Eligibility

Eligible students have completed their third year of fire protection engineering, fire administration, or fire investigation studies or have entered a master’s program in those disciplines.

Interns will have a chance to take their classroom knowledge and skills to a unique workplace with irreplaceable historic structures.

Throughout the summer, interns will have the support of a supervisor and a regional structural fire manager to review their work and provide subject matter expertise.

Additionally, interns will have access to fire protection engineers who will provide mentoring and advice.

How Do I Apply?

To apply

The recruitment process is open for Summer 2025. Students can apply through the Student Conservation Association (SCA), an organization that is committed to developing the next generation of conservation leaders. Selected interns will receive the following benefits, subject to applicable federal, state, and local taxes:

• $467 weekly living allowance
• $650 one-time, round-trip travel allowance, $1,300 if traveling outside of the contiguous United States (e.g., Hawaii, Alaska)
• Eligibility for $1,565 Segal AmeriCorps Education Award
• Free housing provided by the park

Need More Information?

Learn more about the National Park Service Structural Fire Program. Contact Roberta Gorman, Structural Fire Prevention Program Manager, at [phone] with questions regarding these internships.