Eriks Gabliks is the superintendent of the National Fire Academy (NFA). He was named to this position in November 2020. As superintendent, Mr. Gabliks provides leadership for 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 4 volunteer, combination and career fire agencies.
In 1991, Mr. Gabliks 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. He 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 3 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, Virginia.
Mr. Gabliks is past president of the North American Fire Training Directors and serves on various state and national organizations, including the Drexel University Fire Injury Research and Safety Trends Advisory Committee and many others.
He is a first generation Latvian and speaks, reads and writes the language.