Jerome Gaines

Jerome Gaines was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He graduated from Northrop High School and received his bachelor’s degree in Management from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2011.

On December 9, 1983, he was sworn in as a firefighter with the Fort Wayne Fire Department. In 1988 he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in the Suppression Division. He transferred to the training academy and became the lead instructor in 1989. Later that year, he was promoted to Captain. In 1991 he advanced to the rank of District Chief of Hazardous Materials Operations. In 1993 he was promoted to Chief of Special Operations. While in this position, he also took on the duties of Systems Administrator over the Information Technology Division. In 1999 he returned to the Fire Suppression Division as a Battalion Chief. He was designated to the position of Shift Commander in 2004, and after excelling in that position for over 10 years, he rose to the rank of Assistant Chief of Operations in 2014, where he oversaw the daily activities of 365 firefighters. He was appointed to Fire Chief of the Tallahassee Fire Department on June 30, 2014.