NORTH BAY FIRE DISTRICT
Official Biography
Assistant Chief Gary D. Jordan
Assistant
Chief Gary D. Jordan is the assistant chief of operations for the North Bay Fire
District. A career employee of the
fire district for fourteen years, he has been an active member of the
department for eighteen years. He
progressed through the ranks from firefighter to Lieutenant and Captain and was
appointed Assistant Chief in April 1994. Prior
to joining North Bay, he served as a shipboard firefighter in the U.S. Navy and
as a volunteer firefighter for the Sebring Volunteer Fire Department, Sebring,
Ohio.
Assistant
Chief Jordan is a graduate of Sebring McKinley High School, Sebring, Ohio.
Following graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy where he served in the
submarine fleet aboard the nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Lapon (SSN 661).
He was an Interior Communications Electrician, attaining the rank of
Petty Officer Third Class and earning the coveted submariners dolphin award, the
National Defense Service Medal and a Navy Unit Commendation.
He
attended Youngstown State University upon his discharge and joined the U.S. Air
Force Reserves as a law enforcement specialist.
Upon graduation from college, he was selected for and attended Air Force
Officer Training School and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. He held a variety of positions worldwide in the Security
Police career field, including squadron commander, operations branch chief,
Chief of Security Police and major command staff officer. He also had specialized assignments directing the operational
test and evaluation of equipment proposed for deployment by security forces of
the Air Force, allied countries and other branches of the U.S. government to
include the U.S. Secret Service, Central Intelligence Agency and Federal Bureau
of Investigation. He was a loaned
executive to the United Way of Howard County, Indiana, in 1982 and 1983.
He attended a variety of training courses; most notably the US Air Force
Security Police Administration Course at the University of Southern California
and the Motor Vehicle Traffic Accident Investigation and Prevention Course at
Northwestern University. He was competitively selected to attend the Federal Bureau of
Investigation National Academy at Quantico, Virginia. He also attended several professional military education
courses, including the Air Force Squadron Officers’ School at Maxwell Air
Force Base, AL, and he is a graduate of both the Air Command and Staff College
Correspondence Program and the U.S. Marine Corps Command and Staff College
Nonresident Program. He retired
from active military service effective November 1, 1994 in the rank of Major.
His Air Force awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service
Medal (four awards); the Air Force Commendation Medal (two awards); the Air
Force Organizational Excellence Award (three awards); the Air Force Outstanding
Unit Award (three awards); the U.S. Navy Meritorious Unit Citation, the National
Defense Service Medal (with Device); and, the Humanitarian Service Medal.
Assistant
Chief Jordan holds Florida Certificates of Compliance as a Firefighter and
Firesafety Inspector I. He also
holds the following Florida certificates of competency: Volunteer Basic and
Advanced Firefighter; Fire Officer I; Pump Operator; Instructor II; Instructor
III; Firesafety Inspector II; Fire Investigator I; Fire Investigator II, Fire Officer
II and Live Fire Training Instructor I. He is a
Florida-certified Emergency Medical Technician.
He has been trained to the Technician level for hazardous materials.
He is an American Safety and Health
Institute Basic Life Support Instructor-Trainer. He is an associate faculty member for Troy State University,
Pensacola Junior College and Okaloosa-Walton College. He is also an instructor for the National Fire Academy and
the Florida State Fire College. Chief
Jordan is certified as an
instructor for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
He holds numerous Florida and National certifications including: the
National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications as a Fire Instructor
II; certified by the National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications as an Incident Safety
Officer – Fire Suppression; certified as a Florida Professional Emergency
Manager by the Florida Emergency Preparedness Association,; Certified Fire
Protection Specialist by the Certified Fire Protection Specialist Board and the
National Fire Protection Association; and, Certified Fire and Explosion
Investigator by the National Association of Fire Investigators.
He was the North Bay Fire District Firefighter of the Year for 1991, the
Florida Fire Marshal of the Year for 2000 and the Florida Public Information
Officer of the Year for 2003.
Assistant
Chief Jordan has earned an Associates of Applied Science in Police Science
Technology and a Bachelors of Applied Science in Corrections from Youngstown
State University; an Associates of Science in Fire Science Technology from
Central Florida Community College; and, a Master of Arts in Executive
Development for Public Service from Ball State University.
He has completed advanced study at the Florida State Fire College, the
National Fire Academy, the Emergency Management Institute, the Alabama Fire
College, the Texas A&M University System, Florida State University and the
University of Florida. He is a
graduate of both the FBI National Academy and the National Fire Academy
Executive Fire Officer Program and has been bestowed the Chief Fire Officer
Designation by the Commission on Chief Fire Officer Designation. Assistant
Chief Jordan has also been awarded the designation Certified in Homeland
Security -- Level III by the American College of Forensic Examiners Institute
and has been appointed to First Responders Division of the Certified Homeland
Security Preparation and Response Teams.
Assistant
Chief Jordan is an active member of his community. An Eagle Scout, he is an Assistant Scoutmaster for his Boy
Scout Troop, and is a Unit Commissioner and member of the
Choctawhatchee District committee, Gulf Coast Council.
He is a recipient of the district Distinguished Scouter Award and
District Award of Merit. He is a
graduate of the Woodbadge course and is an active member of the Order of the
Arrow. He is also a merit badge
counselor for First Aid, Fire Safety and Emergency Preparedness.
He is a licensed amateur radio operator and is currently Vice-president
of the Twin Cities
Amateur Radio Club and a member of the Playground Amateur Radio Club, Okaloosa County Amateur Radio
Emergency Service and the Air Force Military Affiliate Radio System.
He is an active Credentialed Volunteer Examiner with the American Radio
Relay League and an instructor and mentor for the Certification and Continuing
Education program. He has been designated
as an Official Emergency Station and Assistant Emergency Coordinator for the
Okaloosa County Amateur Radio Emergency Service. He is also a
mentor for the Niceville High School Executive Internship Program and is a
graduate of the Leadership Okaloosa program.
His
professional associations include: the International Association of Fire Chiefs;
the Southeastern Association of Fire Chiefs; the Florida Fire Marshals and
Inspectors Association; Florida Fire Chiefs Association; Florida Society of Fire
Service Instructors; Florida Association of Public Information Officers; Florida
Law Enforcement Public Information Officers Association, Florida Executive Fire
Officer Association; Florida Emergency Preparedness Association; Florida Fire
and Life Safety Educators Association; Fire Department Safety Officers
Association; Okaloosa County Fire-Rescue Organization; the FBI National Academy
Associates (National and Florida Chapter); National Fire Academy Alumni
Association; National Eagle Scout Association (Life Member); and, Air Force
Association (Life Member). He
is Chairman for the Florida Executive Fire Officers Association.
Chief
Jordan has been married to Darlene for over 33 years.
They have two children, Jason and Kristopher, and a grand daughter,
Autumn and a grand son Gabriel.