Gary Krichbaum was recently the Program Manager for the First Responder Center for Excellence. He was responsible for the coordination and resources supporting a variety of firefighter support programs related to cancer prevention, behavioral health, cardiac health, and overall health and wellness.
An accomplished fire service leader with over 34 years of experience in fire, rescue, EMS, and emergency services, Gary entered the fire service in 1989 as a volunteer in Maryland with the Wheaton Volunteer Rescue Squad, Inc., and retired as an Assistant Fire Chief for the Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department in 2020. He has been a long-time supporter of the NFFF where he currently serves as the Deputy Incident Commander for Memorial Weekend held each year in Emmitsburg, MD. Gary will be the Incident Commander beginning in 2025.
Gary has a strong background as an educator and has delivered curriculum for two local Community Colleges and the University of Maryland, Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute. He is also a Fire Service Team Leader for the Honduras Compassion Partners which develops and implements educational programs and courses in leadership and management, fire and EMS operations, community risk reduction, and other related fields to promote professional development in fire departments throughout Honduras.
He is a member of the Middletown Volunteer Fire Department, a Board of Director member for the Wheaton Volunteer Rescue Squad, Inc., serves as the current Maryland Director for the Eastern Division International Association of Fire Chiefs, and has been a contributing member of multiple NFPA Committees. He has published articles for Fire-Rescue Magazine, Crackyl, and Firehouse magazine.
Gary holds a BS in Fire Science and a Master’s in Emergency & Disaster Management from American Public University. He resides in Middletown, Maryland with his beautiful wife Allison, and their three amazing children Olivia, Alex, and Emily.
