FF/AEMT Gaines started his fire career in 2020 as a recruit firefighter with the West Jackson Fire Department. He completed Firefighter 1 and obtained his NPQ and State Certificate in April of 2021. He was hired as a part-time Firefighter with WJFD while working full time for GDOT. He worked for the Incident Management Unit, otherwise known as the H.E.R.O. Unit in Metro Atlanta. His job as a Highway Emergency Response Operator was to manage incidents and keep the roadways open on the Metro Atlanta Interstate System. He also obtained his FAA Part 107 Certificate while with GDOT. In 2021, he left HERO and transferred to GDOT District 1 to be a Traffic Signal Tech.

In March of 2022, he became the department’s UAS Program Coordinator. He is responsible for the oversight of the 4 drones that the department operates. In July of 2022, he left GDOT and became a fulltime firefighter at West Jackson Fire Department. While working for WJFD, he obtained his NPQ Firefighter 2 certificate. In August of 2023, he obtained his NREMT Basic EMT Certificate and State of Georgia EMT license. In February of 2024 he obtained his NREMT Advanced EMT Certification and State of Georgia AEMT License. He currently serves as Firefighter on Squad 31/A and is a member of the department's Special Operations Team.

He enjoys spending time with his amazing 2 boys. In his free time, he enjoys trout fishing and playing golf.