Working for You: The United States Fire Administration’s National Fire Academy
Eriks Gabliks, Superintendent of the National Fire Academy
Friday, June 14, 2024
9:00 AM – 10:30 AM
The US Fire Administration (USFA), through its National Fire Academy (NFA), offers a wide variety of professional development opportunities to more than 70,000 career and volunteer fire and EMS personnel on an annual basis. We don’t offer Firefighter I, Fire Officer II, or classes available from your training division or state fire academy. What we offer sets us apart and leads our stakeholders to call us one of the nation’s premiere fire and EMS professional development organizations. As we look to fill important vacancies in our organizations, and as we address the retirements of our seasoned co-workers and their institutional knowledge, we need a place where we can develop our current and future fire and EMS leaders. The NFA is part of that solution. We will also discuss professional development opportunities and resources available specifically on Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) that you will find useful. Let us share what is available free of charge from YOUR National Fire Academy and how we can help with the development of you and members of your organization.
Eriks Gabliks
Eriks Gabliks has the honor of serving as the superintendent of the National Fire Academy (NFA). He was named to this position in November 2020. As superintendent, Eriks works with a talented team of professionals committed to developing and providing professional development opportunities for career and volunteer fire and EMS providers at the NFA in Emmitsburg, Maryland, through virtual opportunities, and around the country in partnership with state fire academies. Eriks leads the NFA, which focuses on enhancing the ability of fire and emergency services and allied professionals to deal more effectively with fire and other emergencies.
His interest in the fire service began in 1982 when he joined his neighborhood volunteer fire company in Adelphia, New Jersey. Over the years, he would serve with four volunteer, combination and career fire agencies in positions ranging from entry-level firefighter to deputy fire chief.
In 1991, he joined the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST). DPSST sets professional training and licensing standards for more than 41,000 public and private safety professionals in the state of Oregon. DPSST also operates the Oregon Public Safety Academy, which provides training to more than 25,000 first responders on an annual basis. Eriks served as agency director from 2010 to 2020, overseeing a staff of more than 450 employees. He is the first employee in the agency’s history to have ascended to this position from the internal ranks and served under three governors.
Mr. Gabliks holds a master’s degree in public policy and administration from Portland State University. He has also completed the Executive Fire Officer Program at the NFA and the Executive Development Institute at the FBI Academy in Quantico, VA.
Eriks and his family live in Hanover, Pennsylvania
