Crowd Claps, Sings 'Don't Stop' to Honor Gaines

VIENNA, VA. – Clapping and the crowd singing ‘Don’t  Stop’ – that’s the way they ended the tribute to Deputy U.S. Fire Administrator Glenn Gaines here Friday.

Hundreds gathered at McLean Bible Church to offer a final salute to Gaines, a veteran firefighter who rose through the ranks to become chief of Fairfax County, Va. Fire and Rescue.

As he was an avid drummer who enjoyed rock and roll, many thought the Fleetwood Mac sing-along was perfect. And, they said Glenn would have given thumbs up.

It was Gaines’ daughter, Christy, who got the audience to its feet.

She mentioned that her dad, a humble man, would say he didn’t deserve the honors and tributes.  “But, he was an extraordinary man who lived an extraordinary life.”

She added that he also would insist that the focus not remain on him, but the future.

Fairfax County Chief Richie Bowers, adding that everyone in the church could share precious moments they had with Gaines. “It’s a sad day, but it’s full of great memories…”

Humble, kind, calming, respectful, soft spoken but direct – that was Glenn Gaines.

Bowers recalled some of his mentor’s favorite sayings such as “I never learned anything while I was talking.”

Dr. Denis Onieal shared his thoughts on the loss just hours after he accepted a leadership award during the annual CFSI dinner.

"Glenn was both my best friend and my greatest boss.  Actually, he was the best friend and greatest boss to thousands of people – those here this morning and those who surely wanted to be," he said.

 The National Fire Academy superintendent went on to remind the gathering of Gaines' many attributes, including being a team player in every endeavor.

"He was as talented and comfortable crawling down the hallway of a burning tenement as he was meeting the President in the Oval Office. Glenn changed America in ways that no one at the United States Fire Administration ever did, and probably no one ever will.  Others may expand it or improve it in the future, but Glenn made it happen..."

Onieal, on an emotional roller coaster, said his friend always thought outside the box. Even though budgets were being cut, Gaines said firefighters needed to grasp the opportunity and shine.

"Glenn had a vision of America’s fire service that few did.  He knew that the path wasn’t about talking; it was about doing.  And he did some remarkable things – from organizing and implementing the model grants program in the United States government, to firefighter safety, technological innovation, education and policy implementation. Glenn set the vision, organized the engines, built the road and pushed us down the highway.  He did that while others couldn’t see that far, or that fast..."

He mentioned how proud Glenn was of his family, including his wife of 51 years, Linda (aka The General), his daughter, Christy and her husband, Sean, as well as his twin grandchildren, Evan and Heather. Onieal added how Glenn kept his USFA and NFA staff abreast of their accomplishments.

Onieal added: "Glenn was loved, honored and respected for three principal reasons – his character, his competence and his compassion.  He was always upright and honest, he never vacillated or equivocated, he never minced words.  He made sure that his firefighters and officers were taken care of before he ever worried about himself..."

The NFA superintendent concluded: "Whenever you’re facing some tough times, whenever things look especially bleak, whenever you’re faced with a situation where your heart is telling you one thing and your brain is telling you something else, whenever you have a choice to take the easy road or do the right thing and work hard, ask yourself a question. 'What would Glenn do?' If you do that, I promise you a great life."

 National Fallen Firefighters’ Foundation Executive Director Ron Siarnicki said Gaines left a profound impression on him.

He said his friend had a knack for making people feel appreciated, and took the time to stop and chat.

“He may have had somewhere more important to be, but he never let on.”

Siarnicki lauded Gaines and his wife, Linda, for their dedication to the NFFF, and more importantly, their compassion for the families. He truly wanted to hear about the firefighters who lost their lives serving their communities.

A saying by James Philip Bailey came to mind he said: “We should not count our time on this earth in the number of heartbeats we achieve, but in the heartbeats of those whose lives we have improved. He who thinks a lot, acts the best, and feels the noblest shall have lived the most.”

Siarnicki shared: “I would say Glenn lived his life to the very most and impacted so many heartbeats.”