Glenn A. Gaines

Glenn A. Gaines, Deputy U.S. Fire Administrator, died unexpectedly Sunday afternoon, April 12, 2015, at his home in Leesburg. His hometown was Vienna, Virginia. Chief Gaines was born March 19, 1943, and is survived by his wife Linda of 51 years; daughter Christy Stuart; son-in-law, Sean Stuart; and twin grandchildren, Heather and Evan. Chief Gaines began his fire service career as a member of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department in Virginia. During his illustrious 35 year career with Fairfax County, he served in numerous capacities, including Fire Marshal, Chief Training Officer, and Chief of Operations, culminating in his appointment as Fire Chief from August 1991 until his retirement in December 1998. He was in charge of the nationally recognized Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Urban Search and Rescue team that frequently deployed throughout the United States and internationally. After his retirement from Fairfax County, Chief Gaines served with the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program for the Department of Homeland Security from its inception in 2001 until 2009. He served as a principal architect and a member of the senior staff for three of the primary grants managed by FEMA’s Grants Program Office. He was the Agency’s lead in developing the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant Program in 2005. In March of 2009, Chief Gaines began his tenure as the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Deputy U.S. Fire Administrator for the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA). He was responsible for managing USFA programs and training activities conducted at the National Emergency Training Center. In May of 2010, Chief Gaines was awarded the prestigious President's Award of Distinction by the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs. This award is given to individuals deemed worthy by their peers, and is presented by the President of the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs’ Section of the International Association of Fire Chiefs. In May of 2011, Chief Gaines was awarded the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs’ Lifetime Achievement Award. This award is presented to a past or present Metro Chief based on a history of accomplishments, contributions to the organization, contributions to fire safety, demonstrated leadership, challenges overcome, and similar considerations. In August of 2011, Chief Gaines was presented with the International Association of Fire Chiefs President’s Award of Recognition for meritorious service to the fire service. Chief Gaines received a degree in Fire Administration and authored a fire service text, contributed to several other texts, and wrote numerous articles for several trade publications. He served as a faculty member at the USFA’s National Fire Academy, and was actively involved with organizations related to the professional development of fire and emergency services. In addition to his fire service roles, Glenn Gaines was a devoted husband, a loving father, and a doting grandfather. He enjoyed playing softball, jogging, gardening, and traveling with his family. To make a donation in Chief Gaines memory, please submit donations to: National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, P.O. Drawer 498, Emmittsburg Maryland, 21727, www.firehero.org/donate/ or the Mid-Atlantic Burn Camp, 5430 Harris Farm Lane, Clarksville, MD 21029