Daniel Gaumont’s career in the fire service has led him down an impressive path spanning more than 55 years. This year, he was awarded Columbia Southern University’s 2026 Faculty of the Year Award for the College of Safety and Emergency Services.
Daniel has been a CSU fire administration professor for 13 years. A former fire chief, Daniel also served his country in the United States Air Force, where he spent more than 20 years as a military fire protection specialist/superintendent. He is a retired senior fire protection specialist with Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC), as well as a retiree from the Department of War and the U.S. Navy Fire and Emergency Services.
Years before these accomplishments, Daniel knew early on that he wanted to become a firefighter when he grew up.
“I noticed the town’s fire truck and I exploded with excitement,” he recalled. “The fire service bug had bitten, and I knew from that day forward that my career goals were to become a full-time firefighter.”
That same year, Daniel’s father started his own firefighting career, allowing a young Daniel to visit the fire station when his father was on duty.
“The rest is history, and for the past 55-plus years I have been living my life’s dream every day,” he said.
Discovering a Passion for Teaching
When Daniel started college in 1974, one of his college professors inspired him to teach.
“Very early in my career I was mentored by a gentleman by the name of Richard Rand, a retired U.S. Naval officer,” said Daniel. “He told me I had special talents and that it was incumbent upon me to pay my education forward by taking everything I learned and sharing that knowledge and skill with peers and subordinates alike. I have done that religiously, and I hear from friends who I have worked with or who have worked for me how much my mentorship and teaching have meant to them in their career and life.”
Daniel is passionate about teaching fire administration at CSU, and his goal is to help his students succeed in their careers through his expertise and leadership experience. In his classes, he relates concepts through actual situations he has experienced in the fire service.
“I want them to understand that what we are teaching our students can and does happen in the real world,” he said. “I also seek their input about incidents they might have experienced and how implementation of class concepts would have altered the results of their experience.”
“To be a leader in today’s fire service, you have to look out for your people, and that, as a leader, you must incorporate the principle of ‘do as I say and do as I do’. I impress on every one of my students from the basic firefighter to the fire chief they must live that concept daily.”
Lifetime Achievement Recognized
In May 2026, Daniel was presented with the U.S. Navy Fire and Emergency Services 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award for his dedication to fire service excellence.
“This recognition is a very humbling experience,” he said. “I see the award as a team award because without the support of my wife and family, the professional firefighters I have served with and for, and the team here at Columbia Southern University, this award would not have been possible.”
Over the course of his career, Daniel has been awarded the International Association of Fire Chiefs’ Benjamin Franklin Departmental Leadership Award in 2000 and again in 2008. He was also selected as the first New York State Career Fire Chief of the Year in 2004. He received the U.S. Air Force Meritorious Service Award (twice), the U.S. Air Force Commendation Award (three times) and the U.S. Air Force Good Conduct Medal (six times).
He is a graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program and the Massachusetts Fire Academy’s Chief Fire Officer Program, where he was one of the first 15 individuals to be awarded Chief Fire Officer Designee by the Commission on Professional Credentialing in 2000, which he’s won nine times.
Daniel and his wife of 35 years, Shannon, live in Texas with their daughter, Heidi, and her family. They also have a son, Daniel P., and six grandchildren in total. He holds an associate degree in fire science, a bachelor’s degree in fire safety and a Master of Public Administration degree from Western Michigan University.
Regarding the Faculty of the Year Award, Daniel is thrilled.
“Selection for this prestigious award affirms my commitment to supporting the university by enriching each student’s education and deepening their subject-matter knowledge,” he stated. “[Students’] success in the classroom equips them to apply what they have learned in their daily lives and professions, strengthening their personal growth, advancing their purpose, and extending the transformative impact of education in their lives and their organization.”
Disclaimer: These testimonials may not reflect the experience of all CSU students.
Multiple factors, including prior experience, geography, and degree field, affect career outcomes.
CSU does not guarantee a job, promotion, salary increase, eligibility for a position, or other career growth.
