On March 15, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs held a hearing on Gregory Cade’s nomination to become U.S. Fire Administrator. Cade said that his priorities as U.S. fire administrator would be to provide firefighter training throughout the states, to improve data collection and analysis at USFA and to improve training and networking opportunities at the National Fire Academy.

Committee Chairman Joseph Lieberman (ID-Conn.) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) questioned Cade about the need to maintain funding for the FIRE and SAFER Act grant programs; Cade indicated that these programs have been extremely helpful for his fire department in particular and for the fire service in general. He also discussed the importance of governance and getting the fire service, police, public works, public utilities and the like to solve the interoperability and shared-command challenges together.

Cade also spoke on the importance of distance learning and working with state agencies to train hazmat teams, in response to questions from Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.).

Cade currently serves the community of Virginia Beach, Va., where he has been the fire chief and emergency services coordinator for the past eight years. His department was one of the first fire departments in the nation to be accredited by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International. He serves on the National Urban Search and Rescue Team Advisory Board and he is a sponsoring agency chief for Virginia Task Force 2.

Cade has managed several presidential-declared disasters and contributed to national awards and recognition for municipal government. He has more than 40 years experience in the fire service, beginning his career as an entry-level firefighter. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland and the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.